Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has received approval to take its first step in what will hopefully result in an underground pedestrian tunnel in Austin, Texas.
At a Kyle City Council meeting on May 3rd, TBC was granted approval to begin engineering work on the proposed tunnel.
The project would create a pedestrian underpass under the Union Pacific Railroad to connect the $90 million Plum Creek subdivision and mixed-use project to the east (as pictured above).
With the approval, the City of Kyle will pay $50,000 for the initial work to see if the proposed tunnel will work in that area.
The $50,000 breaks down as follows:
- $5,000 for a site visit
- $20,000 to initiate drilling for geotechnical investigation
- $15,000 for Geotechnical Laboratory
- $10,000 for a Preliminary Engineering Report and Construction Cost Proposal
A presentation at the meeting also provided more details on the tunnel.
According to officials it would be 12 feet in diameter and include a 10-foot-path that would stretch under the Union Pacific Railroad tracks south of Kyle Parkway/Farm to Market 1626, reports the Austin Business Journal.
It will also serve more than just pedestrians.
“The pedestrian underpass will accommodate multimodal transportation options both slow and fast moving, including electric vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians,” a preliminary engineering report stated.
This approval is just the first step in a long process before actual construction work can begin.
