Whittier

Corinne Alaska 2 Comments

We had some time to kill before our next date-dependent destination, so we decided to spent a few hours in the town of Whittier, Alaska. I had heard of Whittier through various news stories and anecdotal accounts from others. What is the town’s claim to fame? Most of the town’s residents all live under the same roof (population 272) and to access by land, you have to go through a 2.5 mile tunnel. We just had to check it out.

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds! It was blasted out in 1943 during World War II, with Whittier becoming the port of entry for soldiers being stationed in Alaska.

Cars need to share the tunnel with trains, and the tunnel is only one lane wide. So, after paying your $13 toll, you queue up to wait your turn. Going into Whittier occurs on the half hour, leaving Whittier happens on the hour. The trains come and go in between those times.
Here we are driving in the tunnel. You can see the railroad tracks are right in lane for the cars. This tunnel has been open to the public since 2000. Before that, the public could only access Whittier by air or water.
Every 1600 feet or so there are “safe houses.” You are instructed that if there is an emergency, to exit your vehicle and make your way to a safe house. I have no idea what happens after that!

And just like that, you are in the town of Whittier on Prince William Sound. It’s nestled between the water and the soaring mountains around it. The Alaska Railroad owns much of the town.

This is considered Main Street. Heck, it’s about the only street in town.
The town has a small harbor and a cruise boat terminal on the distant shore.
This is Begich Towers, the building where most of the town lives. The public has access to the first floor of the building, but the residents ask you to be respectful of their privacy. We opted to not enter the building.

The town is the connection for the Alaska Rail to Canada and the lower USA via rail barge.

Because of all the heavy train traffic through town, there is a underground tunnel to allow you to walk from one side of town to the other.

After World War II, the town’s population topped out a 809 due to the Cold War.

The Buckner Building was constructed in 1953 to house soldiers during the Cold War period. But it was eventually abandoned as the Cold War ended.

It was a short visit to Whittier, and a rainy one because the town gets 197 inches of rain a year! All in all, it was a fun place to explore. And how often do you get to go through the longest highway tunnel in North America?

If you want to see a little more on this unique town, CBS Sunday Morning did a short 5 minute program on the town about a year ago (that’s how I knew the town first came onto my radar). You can view the show at https://youtu.be/8iFOBQzO_5A?si=y8YkEsicgZI-REKr.

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