Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
| Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel | ||||
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 Tunnel just before the east portal,
a rescue chamber branches off to the left |
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| use | Road and rail tunnels | |||
| traffic connection | Whittier ↔ Anchorage | |||
| length | 4.1 km | |||
| Number of tubes | 1 | |||
| construction | ||||
| start of building | 1941 | |||
| completion | 1943 | |||
| Transport links | ||||
 Course of the Portage Glacier Highway , which runs through the tunnel
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| location | ||||
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| Coordinates | ||||
| West portal | 60 ° 47 ′ 20 " N , 148 ° 48 ′ 14" W. | |||
| East portal | 60 ° 46 ′ 38 " N , 148 ° 43 ′ 57" W. | |||
Map with all coordinates: The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel in Alaska that connects the city of Whittier with the Seward Highway and into Anchorage .
The single-lane tunnel through which the Portage Glacier Highway runs is the only connection for cars and trains to Whittier. The formerly existing pass road has not been maintained since 1913.
history
The tunnel was originally only planned for the mid-1940s, but was accelerated when the USA entered the war in 1941 for military reasons. It could only ever be built in the summer months, as the area in winter temperatures between −40 and −60 ° C with wind speeds of up to 150 km / h and snow depths of 10 m. Avalanches also hindered the construction work several times. The railway connection was completed on April 23, 1943. In 1964, an earthquake destroyed the town of Portage near the west portal. After the military withdrew from Whittier, civilian settlement and construction activity increased there. The traffic increased and the railway began to transport civilian vehicles through the tunnel by rail loading. At the end of the 1960s, the previously unpaved access roads were paved.
In the early 1990s tourism increased and various expansion models to improve the traffic situation were discussed.
In 1997, work began on expanding and upgrading the tunnel, which was characterized by a variety of disabilities. After environmental activists protested against the feared effects of the necessary blasting on the fish stocks in Portage Lake and the flora in the area, there were further delays, e.g. B. from private vehicles that got stuck in the construction site, a train derailment with high material damage and an avalanche burial. The expansion work could only be completed and opened to traffic in the spring of 2000.
business
Today the tunnel, which is now equipped with nine rescue and turning niches, is processed automatically in block operation that changes every hour . Waiting places for up to 400 vehicles are available at the portals. The tunnel is ventilated with large, bidirectional jet turbines in the intermediate cycles.
Around 50,000 vehicles pass through the toll tunnel, which can only be driven at 25 mph. The passage takes about 10 minutes.
In the cold winter months, the tunnel is only opened for short periods of time, as the penetration of cold air into the vault leads to an increased risk of falling rocks.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ History of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
- ^ Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel at Alaska Highways
- ^ Galileo: Whittier - Eine Stadt als Haus , YouTube, article from August 25, 2015, last accessed on December 7, 2016.