Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) tunneling project in Las Vegas to relieve inner-city traffic has received approval for expansion, Fox5Vegas reported on Wednesday. In the previous tunnel system, Tesla transported passengers with its electric vehicles.
The expansion had been approved by the responsible commissioners of Clark County in the state of Nevada. Accordingly, the existing underground tunnel system is to be expanded by 25 miles, approximately 40.2 km. The expansion is planned to take place from the Las Vegas Strip, according to a tweet from the Commission. The original plan called for a 29-mile network with 51 stations. The Las Vegas Loop is currently around 2.2 miles long – with five stops. Westgate and Encore are under construction.
The commission decided with 6:1 votes for the enlargement. TBC’s attorney, Stephanie Allen, convinced her that TBC would cover all of the construction costs, so taxpayers would not be burdened. It is not known how high the costs will be. Last year around 675 million US dollars, around 609 million euros, flowed into the company and partly into the Loop project.
Criticize the Vegas Loop
The only dissenting vote came from Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick. She fears that the system is only available for tourists and does not take into account resort and casino employees. Construction work for the tunnel system is sometimes a hindrance for the working population. Now TBC also has plans to expand into residential areas north, west and east of the Vegas Strip. The newly planned stations are to be built on Las Vegas Boulevard near the airport, as well as in Chinatown, at the University of Nevada and on Harmon Square.
A sample 4.9 mile ride in the tunnel system in a Tesla vehicle costs about $10. The journey takes about five minutes.
The original idea was to be able to use Hyperloop technology over long distances in a similar tunnel system. Gondolas are said to travel through a low-pressure tube system at up to 600 mph. So far, however, there is no indication that TBC will seriously use this technology. In 2022, TBC said that such a project should be tackled in “the next few years”.
Update
04.05.2023
10:47
Clock
Changed misleading wording that Hyperloop technology would be used in a similar tunnel system. It was never intended to use the technology in the Vegas Loop.
(olb)
