Elon Musk Has His Sights Set On A Texas City For Another High-Tech Underground Tunnel

Elon Musk is looking to transform the city of Dallas, Texas with an underground tunnel transportation system. This tunnel will connect the University of North Texas at Dallas with a place called University Hills — a retail and recreation space that is under construction. The purpose is to create a faster route between two highly trafficked locations to ease the flow of roadway traffic. Rather than take up more land space, it will basically serve as a modern subway system, but without the crowds.

The project is being helmed by the Boring Company (as in boring through the earth). It is one of multiple companies owned by Elon Musk. The Boring Company held a proposal submission contest that attracted about 500 submissions, and this route in Dallas was selected as one of three winners. Passengers will be able to come to this tunnel and be driven through it in Tesla vehicles. It will be a single-route tunnel, with no other lanes or traffic hazards. There will be a subsequent, separate route back. In effect, it is a public transportation system with some advantages. There is only one stop, so it is more efficient than a bus or a subway. It also doesn't take up road space like large inner-city buses do.

The Boring Company's mission is to help reduce traffic congestion and make transportation in busy areas more efficient with underground tunnel systems. It is able to create a mile of underground tunnels within a week. To see what the future might hold for Dallas, we can look to other successful tunnels established by the Boring Company.

In Las Vegas, there's the Vegas Loop, which hits major hotel stops in the city, and the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVVC) Loop, which connects two major portions of the LVVC, which would normally be a 45-minute walk. Recently, a new stop at Las Vegas' international airport opened up. The LVVC Loop can handle over 4,000 passengers per hour, and the Vegas Loop can handle 90,000. Within these underground tunnels, you can travel well over 100 miles an hour, making trips much faster.

In terms of safety, these tunnels are outfitted with fire ventilation infrastructure, emergency exits, and full camera coverage. Though traffic cameras may not always be popular, as evidenced by people tearing down Flock traffic cameras, in this case, they're an essential safety feature. The 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire disaster in France taught the world a lot about handling emergency situations in underground tunnels, as during that incident 39 people died, and ultimately criminal charges were leveled against multiple parties. The Boring Company has more tunnels in Vegas and proposed tunnels for Nashville and Dubai as well.

When built, this underground tunnel is likely to have a beneficial impact on Dallas. As someone who has driven through the city a couple of times, it is often a hectic and traffic-heavy experience. This will help alleviate that congestion, and make it easier for people to travel between two strategic locations via Tesla — which have been rated as the most satisfying EV to drive.

The University of North Texas at Dallas sees thousands of new students enroll every year. Even if they don't live on the campus, these students still spend a great deal of time in the area. The university is also the working place for professors, staff, researchers, volunteers, visitors, and more. Given this importance, it is easy to see how its proximity to the upcoming University Hills will make traveling between the two popular.

The University Hills area is not yet complete, and is still in its early stages as of this time of writing. The proposed idea for it is to have plenty of green recreational spaces, retail locations, and even office locations. It will also have residential areas. It's easy to see how someone who works at the university would like the idea of living at University Hills and taking the Boring Company's underground tunnel to and from work each day. The University Hills is planned to be 270 acres. The tunnel connecting the two will be a mile long.