A tunnel in Wellington, New Zealand, that is the subject of a haunting legend could be extended as part of a £1.27bn infrastructure project.
The Mount Victoria Tunnel forms part of a well-used stretch of highway in the city. Thousands of cars travel through it daily, and drivers sound their horns as they pass through, creating a constant cacophony of beeping and tooting.
According to legend, the horn-honking is a tribute to murdered teenager Phillis Symons, who was buried alive in dirt fill during the tunnel's construction in 1931.
The Legend Behind the Horns
Phillis was 17 and pregnant when her boyfriend, George Coats, a worker on the tunnel's construction, knocked her unconscious with a pipe. He then dumped her in the dirt fill. Her body was found hunched over, indicating she had tried to escape the soil.
George was sentenced to death for the murder and hanged in December 1931. The tunnel was opened to the public the same year.
Now, almost a hundred years later, the 632-metre-long tunnel echoes constantly with the sound of car horns. Residents believe the beeping either wards off spirits or pays tribute to Phillis's memory. Some locals say the tunnel is haunted, while others say the constant beeping is the only thing that haunts the road.
Plans for a Second Tunnel
The tunnel is the subject of a £1.27bn (between NZD$2.9b and NZD$3.8b) infrastructure project that would see a second tunnel built alongside the first to alleviate severe bottlenecks. The current tunnel has only two lanes and frequently closes due to crashes, causing traffic jams that can last hours.
According to RNZ, the project has been granted fast-track approval, but as of last week there was still no expected start date.
