COLUMBIA (WACH) - The tunnels running underneath the State House grounds in Columbia have fascinated people for years.
David Martin has heard the stories of escape routes and even ghosts – but says the true story behind the underground tunnels is less than a mystery.
The maintenance manger of the capitol complex says the tunnels are utility service corridors that are used to carry power and steam to the state house.
On Wednesday – construction workers started a project to repair one of the tunnels.
Martin says the workers are digging a two-foot-deep trench that will allow them to fix the roof of a damaged 400-foot tunnel, which has decayed due to year’s moisture intrusion.
Martin says if it’s not fixed, it could cause the tunnel to collapse.
"A collapsing tunnel could affect our heating and cooling of the state capitol, which then opens up all kinds of opportunities for failures,” said Martin.
Martin says the work should take about 20 days to complete and will cost an estimated $58,475.
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