Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to expand its Las Vegas underground transportation system project, Fox Business reported Thursday.
The Boring Company “creates safe, fast-to-dig, and low-cost transportation, utility, and freight tunnels” to “solve traffic, enable rapid point-to-point transportation and transform cities,” according to its website.
Object Dash, a TBC-affiliated firm, recently purchased a new tract of land in Las Vegas across the street from a multipurpose arena located on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus. The firm acquired an additional 1.8 acres for approximately $7.2 million, according to Clark County Records, first reviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I think right now it’s contemplated that there will be a station on that site,” Steve Hill, the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the outlet. Hill noted that digging for the project could begin shortly.
“There is a permit that’s been turned in (to Clark County), and I think we’ve gotten some response back and they’re working on those responses,” he continued. “We are hopeful that a building permit will be issued for that pretty soon.”
Currently, the only operating portion of TBC’s Vegas Loop is the 1.7-mile Convention Center Loop, which consists of three stations that connect the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall to its North, Central, and South Halls. What would otherwise be a 45-minute walk can be completed in two minutes with the Tesla-operated underground system.
The newest purchase will connect the convention center to UNLV.
According to TBC, the county and the city have already approved 68 miles of tunnel and 93 stations. Once completed, the Vegas Loop will connect the convention center, casinos on the Strip, Allegiant Stadium, downtown Las Vegas, and Harry Reid International Airport. TBC estimates the project will be able to transport more than 90,000 people per hour. The LVCC Loop can already transport more than 4,500 passengers per hour. The company ultimately plans to connect the Vegas Loop to Los Angeles.
The Loop is “an all-electric, zero-emissions, underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported directly to their final destination with no stops along the way,” according to TBC.
Last year, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman expressed concerns about the underground tunnel project, KSNV reported.
“I think it’s impractical. It is not proven yet. We don’t have any raw, real data that’s confirmed,” Goodman stated. “I find it unsafe and inaccessible. It is operator driven, therefore, it’s not on a rail and cannot move us all safely.”
