Federal highway money for Whittier tunnel operations reaches $4.8 million on one award

The Federal Highway Administration added about $944,000 on Sept. 18 toward operating the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the one-lane road-and-rail link between Whittier and the Seward Highway near Portage, records show. That brings the state transportation department's award to $4,773,259, most of it committed in November 2024 and April 2026. It runs through March 31, 2027.

The formula grant, distributed by formula, pays only the federally eligible share of operating and maintenance costs, not the full budget. The record titles the project "Whittier Tunnel Operations 2021-2025"; its three funding lines total about $14.8 million. A separate $15.1 million award covers 2027 to 2029 operations.

Funding comes yearly for the life of the contract with Webber Infrastructure Management, the tunnel's operator, formerly Transfield Services Infrastructure, renamed Broadspectrum Infrastructure in 2016, Ferrovial Services Infrastructure in 2018 and Webber in 2023. State funds paid for the project design.

For the USS Ted Stevens commissioning Saturday, Oct. 3, an Alaska 511 alert says the tunnel closes to all traffic from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the commissioning committee says it closes to private cars. No state official is quoted.