Construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System began April 29, 1974, was completed June 20, 1977, and cost approximately 8 billion dollars to build. The pipe has a diameter of 48 inches and runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, approximately 800 miles. There are a total of eleven pump stations located along the route which help move the average oil throughput of 47,000 gallons per month at a velocity of 6 miles per hour. The 48-inch pipeline is elevated above ground in some locations and buried eight to 16 feet in others.