Revisiting Whittier Tunnel 20 Years After Conversion to Dual Rail/Highway Service

摘要

In 2001, the 13,300-foot-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (AAMT) opened for dual highway and rail traffic. The conversion from rail earned the longest roadway tunnel in North America an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Outstanding Civil Achievement Award for engineering excellence. The AAMT has transformed the economy of Whittier, a coastal community 60 miles southeast of Anchorage, Alaska. As the tunnel approaches the successful end of its original 20-year design life, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (Alaska DOT&PF) and the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) seek to extend the service life of the tunnel. This paper describes investigations, designs and construction enhancements to ground support and drainage systems, portal structures damaged by avalanches, emergency generator capacity, invert panels and traffic signage.