Waiting for the traffic release at Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — Portage, AK.

Entrance to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — Portage, AK.

Glacier in the mist while awaiting the traffic release at the tunnel — Portage, AK.

Through the tunnel to arrive in Whittier.

Thru the Tunnel to Whittier

July 13, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

We left Seward around 8:00a and some 80+ miles later we made the 10:30a “traffic release” for the Portage side of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.

This toll tunnel is the only way to get to Whittier … short of coming in by water or air. It is shared by trains and vehicles, with timed entries on either side. Before this system was implemented, vehicles were loaded on flatbeds and brought through the tunnel by train. This is a simpler and faster way of making the 2.5-mile journey.

When we came to Alaska in 2001, we came through the tunnel to go on a glacier cruise in the fjords of Prince William Sound. Today we’re here for … well, that’s for a later footprint.Read more