By viewing the map, you can see on the left side is Anchorage, which is the biggest city in Alaska. On the right side of orange area is Canada and its Whitehorse cities. And the Alaska Capital Juneau is on their bottom.
When you look at Anchoorage, there are three small towns - Whittier, Valdez, Cordova circle around Prince William Sound. It has been a busy shipping place long time ago.
Until now, drawing a line between Juneau to Anchorage, you will discover that the important loaction of Whittier. Before the tunnel didn't build in Whittier, Cargo transported by sea should start to Valdez, landed up in a big circle around the mountain again to reach Anchorage. After the tunnel open, land cargo port from Whittier to Anchorage only takes fifty minutes, which is very convenient.
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel total length of 4050 meters, 1943 due to the transport of military materiel needs dug the cave, while the original vehicle through the Portage needs first by train, but since 2000, open the vehicle in accordance with the time passing channel directly.
Whittier also be called as "The Strangest Town in Alaska". Beacuse...
Whittier sits at a fascinating historical crossroads, traveled for hundreds of years by natives, traders, explorers, gold rushers, the U.S. military, and now visitors from all over the world. The area surrounding Whittier and Portage pass had significant roles in the expansion of Russian America, the Alaskan Gold Rush, World War II, and the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964.