Lauded as a well-kept Myrtle Beach secret, the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard near 13th Avenue South has been sealed off completely.
The tunnel, whose interior is painted with colorful sea life, had fallen into disarray over the past several years. Graffiti, trash and evidence of people living in the tunnel brought it into the spotlight in a less-than-positive way last year, The Sun News previously reported. Now, all passersby will see of the tunnel are its entryways littered with debris and plywood boards secured over its openings.
The tunnel is maintained by the Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort, and was built in the 1980s for people to use instead of crossing the street. The resort is located at 305 13th Ave. South, and has a sprawling campus, including a small water park.
The resort did not respond to requests for comment. Upon a visit to the resort’s campus on Wednesday, no management personnel or employees were present to answer questions, and all doors into the resort’s offices were locked.
The resort is owned by Carolinas Holding Co. LLC, which purchased the property in late 2021, according to Horry County land records. The number available for Carolinas Holding Co. was not functioning.
The tunnel wasn’t the only part of the resort boarded off. Wednesday’s visit revealed that many of the resort’s rooms were also blocked off with plywood, parking lots and garages were roped off, and the water park had long since run dry. However, it appeared that some individuals were still inhabiting a few rooms.
Wavecrest Beach Vacations, which manages the rental of several rooms at the Sea Mist hotel, said that they did not know why the tunnel and other parts of the hotel were boarded off, and said on Wednesday they would reach back out with more information.
The city of Myrtle Beach was not involved in the closure of the tunnel, according to city spokesperson Meredith Denari, who said that closing off the tunnel was something the hotel did on its own.
According to previous coverage by The Sun News, upkeep in the tunnel has long been a struggle. When graffiti covered the walls, obscuring the sea life painted there, the walls were painted white. Colorful paintings still remained on the ceiling, but now they are shut in behind the tunnel’s blocked off entrances.
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