Elon Musk plans to start digging a tunnel under Los Angeles 'in a month or so'

[Shawn Knight]

Elon Musk haphazardly said on Twitter back in December that he was fed up with traffic and intended to build a tunnel-boring machine “and just start digging.” He further quipped that the new company would be called “The Boring Company” with the slogan, “Boring, it’s what we do.”

Although Musk said at the time that he was actually going to do it, nobody really knew for sure if he was serious or not. Apparently, he was.

Musk on Wednesday again took to Twitter where he said exciting progress had been made on the tunnel front, adding that he plans to start digging in a month or so.

When asked where the tunnel will be located, Musk said “starting across from my desk at SpaceX. Crenshaw and the 105 freeway, which is five minutes from LAX.”

USA Today couldn’t have said it any better: if this were coming from anyone else, it’d be easy to pass it off as a joke. Considering that we’re dealing with a true entrepreneur that has helped shape online payments with PayPal, built a company in SpaceX that created reusable rockets and formed the world’s premiere electric automaker in Tesla, one would be foolish to dismiss Musk’s tunneling talk.

The timing here is also worth noting. It’s not uncommon for government red tape to significantly slow down – or even bring to a halt completely – public transit projects. Having met with President Trump on Monday, it’s entirely plausible that Musk made a case for his tunneling project to qualify for government funding.

Tunneling image courtesy North South Rail Link

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https://www.techspot.com/news/67908-elon-musk-plans-start-digging-tunnel-under-los.html

 

[andy06shake]

So is the the beginning of the Hyperloop because far as I was aware there are still a few technological and safety issues to contend with before such a transport medium is technologically viable.

Maintaining a near vacuum inside the tunnel being one of the main issues with such a system.

 

[VitalyT]

Yeah, there haven't been enough earthquakes in LA...

If Mask gets trolled on this, we'll know where those came out from

 

[Tanstar]

Yeah, there haven't been enough earthquakes in LA...

If Mask gets trolled on this, we'll know where those came out from

That was my thought. There can't be many WORSE places to dig a tunnel than under LA.

 

[mailpup]

That was my thought. There can't be many WORSE places to dig a tunnel than under LA.

I can't disagree with you although there are a few underground subways already in use. That said, I can't imagine the L.A. City Council giving approval for this project very quickly, if at all. Big projects in general take a long time to go through the permit process.

 

[namesrejected]

Why doesn't he just get a helicopter if the purpose is to avoid traffic? He could even go and make an all electric goofy looking "teslacopter". Would be a lot cheaper, and more practical than all this.

.... Oh! This is the test run! The "real" tunnel is going to be across the boarder!

 

[mccartercar]

That was my thought. There can't be many WORSE places to dig a tunnel than under LA.

I can't disagree with you although there are a few underground subways already in use. That said, I can't imagine the L.A. City Council giving approval for this project very quickly, if at all. Big projects in general take a long time to go through the permit process.

Trump is going to call their people. They'll do big, great things together. LA City Council is the best council. TUNNELS!

 

[Kunming]

He's so digging a tunnel to mexico, to undermine that wall, hell yes

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Why doesn't he just get a helicopter if the purpose is to avoid traffic? He could even go and make an all electric goofy looking "teslacopter". Would be a lot cheaper, and more practical than all this.

.... Oh! This is the test run! The "real" tunnel is going to be across the boarder!

The man is no fool, he doesn't get caught up in traffic jams like normal people do. He's just complaining about the traffic to try get the populace on his side, agree and sympathize with him but most importantly... because ultimately he sees a way to profit big time from it. The benefit to others is just a bit of icing on the cake.

 

[fktech]

To China?

 

[SirDigby]

I love this man.

 

[wiyosaya]

That was my thought. There can't be many WORSE places to dig a tunnel than under LA.

I can't disagree with you although there are a few underground subways already in use. That said, I can't imagine the L.A. City Council giving approval for this project very quickly, if at all. Big projects in general take a long time to go through the permit process.

Trump is going to call their people. They'll do big, great things together. LA City Council is the best council. TUNNELS!

Hahaha! Great comedy.

This is ultimately going to be under the control of LA, and I cannot imagine that they would just fast-track this even if Trump and Musk are making promises that it will be in the best interests of everyone and that it will be safe. That they did it between England and France is one thing, but that took 20-years just to ensure that it could be built, and then four years to complete. In addition, there have been problems like fires and other things that have complicated its operation.

That they could have learned lessons from the Chunnel is likely, but they still need to plan a viable route. Everything that Musk jumps on does not turn to gold. Notably, he proposed the transport tube idea (which he likely got from Babylon 5) and instead of his company attempting to build it themselves, farmed it out to those willing to take the risks.

 

[Makson]

A tunnel to dispense with traffic jams, what a joke, he should stay on his soap-box and force vehicle manufacturers to stop builng new model vehicles every year.

 

[jack_alexander]

You could pave the entire L.A. and Orange Country area and there would still be a traffic jam. At complete hollowing out of the area would have the same results, that is until that first earthquake. You know, like when the 91 freeway was left in a pile of rubble....