Interesting Alaskan Tunnel
casey j cress
for two directions of traffic, but also serves a railroad.
http://www.markvz.com/images/Alaska12.jpg
http://www.markvz.com/images/Alaska3.jpg
--
Casey J Cress
Muskegon, MI
Troy, MI
http://www.msu.edu/~cresscas/michigan
big...@yahoo.com
casey j cress wrote:
> Came across these photos of a tunnel in Alaska that not only is one lane
> for two directions of traffic, but also serves a railroad.
>
That's the Whittier Tunnel. I've been to its western end, when it used
to be rail only. However, even then you could take your car through by
driving it onto a flat car and getting taken through via train. A few
years back, they modified it for one way car traffic, as well. I
understand from friends who went through that the wait time on either
end can be a bit lengthy. They also said there wasn't much going on in
Whittier.
Chris
Revive755
That has got to be one of the oddest tunnel portals I have seen.
How much longer does the wait get when a train comes through, since
they probably must halt traffic long enough to make sure anyone in the
tunnel exits before the train's arrival?
Oscar Voss
news:1139457994.3...@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> casey j cress wrote:
> > Came across these photos of a tunnel in Alaska that not only is one lane
> > for two directions of traffic, but also serves a railroad.
See also my photo collection at
http://www.alaskaroads.com/photos-whittier-access.htm (includes other photos
of the access road, and links to more tunnel photos at the Alaska DOT&PF
website).
> That's the Whittier Tunnel. I've been to its western end, when it used
> to be rail only. However, even then you could take your car through by
> driving it onto a flat car and getting taken through via train. A few
> years back, they modified it for one way car traffic, as well. I
> understand from friends who went through that the wait time on either
> end can be a bit lengthy. They also said there wasn't much going on in
> Whittier.
They got that right. Whittier is pretty industrial-strength, and one of the
least attractive places I've been in Alaska. It really is the journey,
rather than the destination, that matters most for Whittier -- and
unfortunately for the locals who dream of Whittier as a tourist draw, it's a
rather expensive journey considering both tolls and time.
Tunnel waits can be lengthy even when traffic isn't heavy (westbound traffic
spikes after Alaska Marine Highway ferry arrivals, and eastbound traffic
gets heavy ahead of ferry departures). It normally takes 15-20 minutes for
traffic in one direction to be stopped to clear the tunnel for opposing
traffic, then for opposing traffic to get through, then for tunnel workers
to make sure there aren't any stragglers. The wait is about twice as long
when a phase for train traffic is inserted between the alternating westbound
and eastbound auto traffic phases.
--
Oscar Voss - ov...@erols.com - Arlington, Virginia
my Hot Springs and Highways pages: http://users.erols.com/ovoss/
Steve
> Tunnel waits can be lengthy even when traffic isn't heavy (westbound traffic
> spikes after Alaska Marine Highway ferry arrivals, and eastbound traffic
> gets heavy ahead of ferry departures). It normally takes 15-20 minutes for
> traffic in one direction to be stopped to clear the tunnel for opposing
> traffic, then for opposing traffic to get through, then for tunnel workers
> to make sure there aren't any stragglers. The wait is about twice as long
> when a phase for train traffic is inserted between the alternating westbound
> and eastbound auto traffic phases.
>
A rest stop at the east end would be a good idea. 5 minutes before it's
time to open the tunnel to WB traffic, an announcement, then again at 1
minute.
--
Steve Alpert
MIT - B.S. (Eng.) '05, M.S. (Transp.) '06
http://web.mit.edu/smalpert/www/roads
Sam West
Whittier and its residents. It is called "Barving Home" by Jake
Halpern. Great read.
william welner
island of New Zealand to visit Milford Sound. This tunnel had no rail track
and also had no lighting system but had several way points where vehicles
going opposite direction could pass each other
"casey j cress" <cres...@NOSPAMmsu.edu> wrote in message
news:dseel8$oqn$1...@news.msu.edu...
Mike Tantillo
Steve wrote:
> Oscar Voss wrote:
>
> > Tunnel waits can be lengthy even when traffic isn't heavy (westbound traffic
> > spikes after Alaska Marine Highway ferry arrivals, and eastbound traffic
> > gets heavy ahead of ferry departures). It normally takes 15-20 minutes for
> > traffic in one direction to be stopped to clear the tunnel for opposing
> > traffic, then for opposing traffic to get through, then for tunnel workers
> > to make sure there aren't any stragglers. The wait is about twice as long
> > when a phase for train traffic is inserted between the alternating westbound
> > and eastbound auto traffic phases.
> >
> A rest stop at the east end would be a good idea. 5 minutes before it's
> time to open the tunnel to WB traffic, an announcement, then again at 1
> minute.
I think they have a nice big plaza....similar to a toll plaza or ferry
queueing area...on either side (except only the EB direction charges a
toll). So there is plenty of room to park, get out, and stretch the
legs before its time to go through.
Terry Smith
published schedule available, so that you can plan your arrival in a way
to minimize waits. Trains are (of course) included in the schedule, and
have priority.
Tourists can get onto tour boats in Whittier for Prince William Sound tours.
Whittier is also the closest Alaska Ferry System stop to Anchorage.
Oscar Voss
news:1139502680....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
As far as the all-important "empty the bladder" part, there certainly are
restrooms at the EB queueing area. I don't recall any near the less
spacious WB queueing area, though I wasn't really looking for one at that
point (I did use the EB facilities after my WB return trip through the
tunnel).