SoCal city to steel-fence historic tunnel after squatters trigger fires
The iconic tunnel under Ocean Boulevard in Southern California that Lana Del Rey released a song about in 2022 is getting a permanent steel barrier to keep trespassers out.The Jergins Tunnel in Downtown, Long Beach, has been one of the city’s many problems since the pandemic.
Although the tunnel has been closed to the public for many decades, homeless people found a way to bypass the wooden panels blocking its entry and find a temporary abode.The unlawful encampments under the tunnel have triggered at least four fires since 2022, forcing city officials to find a permanent solution to the problem.After the blazes, charred belongings and burned makeshift bedding were frequently left scattered along the historic mosaic floors.After the latest fire in September 2025, the city decided to wall off the tunnel with steel fences to “improve site security, reduce the potential for vandalism and fires and help protect the structural integrity of the tunnel,” Public Works spokesperson Jocelin Padilla told the Long Beach Post in an email.
The city set aside $156,200 for the project, though city spokesperson Laath Martin said that total costs could shift before work finishes.He added that the installation is not expected to be completed before late September.The 181-foot-long, 30-foot-wide tunnel, built by local businessman Andrew Jergins in 1927, allowed pedestrians to visit the old Pike amusement park without dodging cars on Ocean Boulevard until 1967.
The pedestrian conduit’s two entrances were officially closed off in the following years.The long-abandoned site gained a sudden wave of pop-culture fame in 2022 when singer Lana Del Rey released a song named “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” and sang about the tunnel’s “mosaic ceilings” and “painted tiles.”The newfound fame initially sparked big promises from city leaders, who had planned to transform the century-old tunnel into a speakeasy and music venue beneath a new 31-story Ha...