American Experience

Alaska Pipeline: Thompson Pass

Clip: Season 18 | 2m 53s

One of the biggest challenges during the construction of the Alaska Pipeline was when workers reached Thompson Pass. There, welders and laborers had to scale a near-vertical 2800-foot mountain wall to install pipe. The solution was to develop a tower and cable system that would fly the 80-foot pipe sections into place. On December 6, 1976, the last piece of pipe was laid at Thompson Pass.

Aired: 05/15/06

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Support provided by:

American Experience.

Explore Free Resources
(Trans)formation: Christine Jorgensen

Clip

(Trans)formation: Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen was one of the first people to successfully undergo gender affirmation surgery.

Watch