Whittier Tunnel Schedule

Whittier Tunnel traffic alternates direction every half hour. You can enter into Whittier on the bottom of the hour (at the 1/2 hour mark). Traffic leaves Whittier on the top of the hour.

Use the timetable below to plan your trip through the Whittier Tunnel. To ensure you make the tunnel, check out local Peter D’s suggested leave times from Girdwood & Anchorage. When planning out which tunnel you should take keep in mind there can be a delay in the opening. To be safe, give yourself 20-30 minutes to get through the tunnel and make it where you need to be.

Whittier Tunnel Tickets start at $13. All tickets are round trip. Check out the tunnels fees for different sized vehicles.

Meeting a cruise ship in Whittier?

It’s highly suggested to allow yourself a minimum of one hour to drive from Anchorage to the Whittier Tunnel opening. With summer traffic, you may want to allow up to 1.5 hours. Plan to catch the tunnel opening that is 1.5 hours before your cruise ship leaves.

Ex. Cruise departs at 9am – plan to catch the 7:30am to 7:45am tunnel. If you arrive early, there are a couple of nice restaurants and coffee shops to check out with a bonus of spectacular scenery to take in.

Refer to our detailed Whittier Tunnel Timetable for help planning out your trip to Whittier.

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, better known as the Whittier Tunnel, is the longest dual-use, or bimodal, highway tunnel in North America. It is a unique passage into and out of the town of Whittier and the gateway to Prince William Sound and all the fun it has to offer.

Driving through a oneway tunnel shared by cars and trains is definitely a unique adventure to experience (don’t worry they aren’t using it at the same time)! It does involve some planning though. (Refer to the Whittier Tunnel Schedule.) This one lane tunnel spans 2.5 miles in length. Cars depart from Bear Valley (Portage Valley) at the top fo the hour (for a 15 minute window). Cars depart from Whittier at the bottom of the hour. For more details see our time table above.

The Whittier tunnel suggests arriving 10 minutes prior to your opening. It’s definitely NOT a waste of time to arrive early. Both staging areas offer plenty of beautiful scenery for you to soak up.

This page was made possible by the generous sponsorship from Alaska Sea Kayakers, Glacier Jetski Adventures & OTC Web Design.

Whittier Tunnel History

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, better known as the Whittier Tunnel, is the longest dual-use, or bimodal, highway tunnel in North America. It is a unique passage into and out of the town of Whittier and the gateway to Prince William Sound and all the fun it has to offer.

The tunnel was originally only for trains, but demand for easier access to the beautiful Prince William Sound spurred the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to build a roadway through the tunnel. By 2000, people were able to drive to Whittier for adventure.

Check out the unique history of this tunnel on the State of Alaska’s website.