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A Victorian tunnel under the River Thames, which was hailed in its day as the eighth wonder of the world, has opened to the public for two days for the first time in 145 years. LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - A Victorian tunnel under the River Thames, which was hailed in its day as the eighth wonder of the world, has opened to the public for two days for the first time in 145 years.

The Thames tunnel, which connects Rotherhithe and Wapping, was built between 1825 and 1843 by Marc Brunel and his son, Isambard.

The first tunnel known to have successfully been constructed under a navigable river, it swiftly became a famed entertainment venue drawing all sorts of acts and attracting large crowds. It started carrying passenger trains for the East London tube line in 1869 and was closed in December 2007 for redevelopment.

Now Londoners can once again enjoy a unique walk through the 396-metre tunnel.

"This is an entirely one-off chance for the public to walk through the Thames Tunnel ahead of the reopening of the East London Line..," said the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

"This tunnel is without doubt the forerunner to the tube and metro systems we know the world over and this is a great story of old and new London in tandem", Johnson added.

The tunnel will be open on March 12 and 13.