MP F5.1 Whittier Tunnel Bear Valley Portal (Door 2) - Today known as the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the tunnel passes under Maynard Mountain and is the second longest highway tunnel and longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America. 5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for ‑ 40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds! After the 1960’s when the town of Whittier was abandoned by the military, the Alaska highway system inherited the tunnel. This unique tunnel accommodates both train and vehicular traffic on the same one lane roadway by alternating directions every half hour for cars and then halting vehicle traffic when a train needs to go through. How long does it take to get from Anchorage to Whittier? At about 16 feet wide, it can only accommodate traffic flowing in one direction at a time. The tunnel into Whittier used to be just for trains. Phone: 907-566-2244 Toll-free: 877-611-2586 or Tune to: AM 530, Whittier or AM 1610, Portage The tunnel closes at 10pm each night, 5pm in the winter, locking everyone in for the night. This can only occur if cars and busses clear the tunnel before trucks. Travelers can drive a single direction through the tunnel once per hour. Plan for the tunnel opening for your direction. Since we were there off season there wasn't much of a line. With a distance of 2.5 miles, this innovative roadway has the distinction of being the longest combined rail/highway tunnel in North America. With a distance of 2.5 miles, this innovative roadway has the distinction of being the longest combined rail/highway tunnel in North America. Every half hour they change the direction of the traffic. AMHS said that the tunnel would be open for one flow of traffic in each direction again this evening, Oct. 27. Read more. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway. George wrote a review Jul 2020. Way too much fun! There is an annual walk-through for the public. Both automobiles and trains travel through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to Whittier. * Copies of permits must be provided to the tunnel operator before access will be granted. A Controlled One-Lane Tunnel with Alternating Train and Vehicle Use. Whittier is an unusual town in a stunning natural setting. During our summer months, these tunnel openings begin early in the morning and stretch late into the evening. In 1998, the Whittier Tunnel, later renamed as the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, was modified to handle both railroad and vehicle traffic. The train takes a little longer to make the trip, just under two hours. But I can imagine it gets pretty backed up in the summer. The rail line was originally opened on April 23, 1943, linking Whittier to the Alaska Railroad's main line at Portage. The tunnel to access Whittier is open at 30 minutes past the hour. Original traditional tracks on sleepers were then replaced with a solid concrete path, making the rails flush with the surface of the road. Every guest coming to Whittier will travel through North America’s longest shared rail and car tunnel which operates on a timed schedule allowing one-way traffic through the tunnel. We are the largest non-profit used bookstore in Southern California. Date of experience: August 2020. Mayflower Village Whittier driving directions. $2,970 ($99 ea. Whittier, the gateway to Prince William Sound, has more than 700,000 visitors annually, and is one of the state’s largest tourist attractions. The crystal detector was developed into a practical device for wireless telegraphy by Greenleaf Whittier Pickard, who invented a silicon crystal detector in 1903 and received a patent for it on November 20, 1906. Can also search by keyword such as type of business. This way, it could be multi-use. [Adam Scott Lankford, 12/12/2007] By land you will travel 2 1/2 miles through a mountain tunnel which is shared by alternating directions of vehicle and rail traffic. 17 Map. (Click to enlarge) In order to adapt to changes in traffic, the Department of Transportation records data on traffic type, direction of travel, and volumes during the day. Driving from Anchorage to Whittier to play in Prince William Sound?