2nd Street Tunnel

2nd Street Tunnel

The west entrance
Overview
Location	Downtown Los Angeles
Route	2nd Street
Start	Figueroa Street (Northwest end)
End	Hill Street (Southeast end)
Operation
Opened	1924
Technical
Length	1,550 feet (470 m)
Tunnel clearance	12.75 feet (3.89 m)

Coordinates: 34°03′21″N 118°15′07″W / 34.0558°N 118.2519°W / 34.0558; -118.2519

The 2nd Street Tunnel is a widely filmed and photographed tunnel on 2nd Street under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Times described it as "the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have never heard of". It is 1,500 feet long, and lined with glossy white-glazed tiles that act similarly to a photographic light box, and, alteratively, to provided visually interesting, distorted, reflections of devices placed in it.

The tunnel was built to relieve congestion on the earlier 3rd Street Tunnel. Construction began in 1916, and was completed in 1924, with its formal opening on July 25 of that year. The distinctive white tiles, which give the tunnel its glow, came from Germany, which caused controversy at the time due to Anti-German sentiment at the onset of World War I.

The tunnel runs from South Figueroa Street at the northwest to Hill Street at the southwest. 2nd Street also runs above for two blocks at the surface from Hill Street at the southwest to South Hope Street.

The tunnel is frequently used in movies – notably Blade Runner – and even more frequently in car advertisements from many manufacturers. 73 car ads were filmed in the tunnel from 2006 to 2008, averaging more than two per month. It has also been used for fashion shows, including the 2004 LA Fashion Week show by designer Michelle Mason, and for parties, such as the 2013 Golden Globe Awards the Art of Elysium/Audi party.