By Tim Binnall
An expansive system of underground tunnels long-cited by conspiracy theorists as evidence for something sinister unfolding beneath Denver International Airport will soon be open to the public. The facility recently announced a $300-$700 million project that will transform the subterranean world, currently used for transferring baggage between terminals, into pedestrian walkways to help ease congestion at the site. The plan will also seemingly unintentionally demystify a part of the airport that has been the subject of all manner of fantastic speculation over the years.
Since opening in 1995, Denver International Airport has served as the centerpiece of an array of conspiracy theories suggesting that the site holds a place of significance for the proverbial 'powers that be.' The underground tunnels beneath the facility have frequently factored into those rumors and urban legends, including the idea that they were specifically designed for clandestine military operations ahead of a New World Order. An even odder idea bandied about over the last thirty years is that the subterranean world was used by otherworldly "lizard people," who understandably could not risk the general public seeing them browsing the overpriced offerings at Hudson News.
Around a decade ago, after years of ignoring the conspiracy theories, Denver International Airport finally embraced its quirky reputation with an exhibit exploring the rumors and a clever ad campaign about the urban legends. The facility even swapped one of its iconic gargoyle statues with an animatronic version that chatted with travelers about the site's strange reputation. As such, in announcing the forthcoming pedestrian walkway plan, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston gave a nod to the purported goings-on beneath the facility. "Who knows," he mused, "maybe along the way, travelers will finally get a closer look at the underground tunnels and decide for themselves what’s fact and what’s fiction."