GOING UNDER
Abandoned city tunnels to be turned into major £120million tourist attraction with underground bar
They hope to open by 2027
TUNNELS underneath the city of London that were built to be a WWII shelter are set to be transformed into an £120million attraction.
Having been built in the 1940s, the mile-long tunnels lie beneath Holborn and Chancery Lane.
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However, they were never used for their purpose, having been completed in 1942 after the Blitz ended.
Their biggest claim to fame was being home to spy headquarters in 1944, which is where James Bond author Ian Fleming worked.
It was said to be what inspired him to create the Q Branch.
However, it has been left abandoned since the 1970s.
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And they could soon be transformed into a huge attraction open to the public called The London Tunnels.
This includes a museum space, as well as an exhibition hall and entertainment zone.
An underground bar as well as themed James Bond events could also be part of it.
The website states: "The London Tunnels will use the history hidden beneath our feet to deliver new experiences that inspire exploration and imagination."
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The plans have been created by British architects at WilkinsonEyre, who also created both the new London Battersea Power Station and the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore.
Chief executive of The London Tunnels Mr Angus Murray said it was "very emotional" being underground, where you can feel the London tube trains running overhead.
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Expecting to cost around £120million, it hopes to welcome as many as three million people a year.
This would see it welcome similar tourist numbers as the London Eye which opened 25 years ago.
The redevelopment of the tunnels were approved by authorities last year.
An official opening date is yet to be confirmed although it hopes to open by late 2027.
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Tickets are expected to cost around £30 when it opens.
Mr Murray added: "In London, if one thing works, it's tourism."
The tunnels were used for a number of other purposes before they were abandoned.
The tunnels operated the first Transatlantic telephone cable, TAT1.
This later acted as the hotline between Moscow and Washington the during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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