Elon Musk’s Boring Company has made plenty of headlines in the two and a half years since its quirky CEO began digging a “test trench” on SpaceX property. Perhaps you recall the great flamethrower fundraising of yesteryear, or the flashy promises to crunch commutes to 30 minutes or less.
Despite all of the hype surrounding the company (and its leader), it remained unclear where the Boring Company would build the first of its high-speed tunnels — until today.
On Wednesday evening, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ratified a contract worth $48,675,000 that would see the Boring Company construct a .83-mile, three-stop transit system in the city’s new convention center, which is currently being remodeled.
“We look forward to working with LVCC to build a safe, affordable and exciting transportation system in Las Vegas,” a Boring Company spokesperson told Built In.
The transportation system will consist of passenger cars that can carry eight to 16 people at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour. In addition, the Boring Company is contracted to install elevators and escalators, entrances and exits, lighting, surveillance systems, Wi-Fi, intercom and ventilation systems. The whole package.
Las Vegas’s vote to hire the Boring Company was unanimous, save for one outlier: Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman recommended her team instead hire German transportation company Doppelmayr, citing the Boring Company’s lack of experience.
In a letter published by the Las Vegas Sun, Goodman explained her hesitation, saying, “The Boring Co. is [three] years old and has yet to deliver a final package on anything.” Ouch.
The company has a few years to get things together, however: the completion target for Boring Company’s first official project is early 2021, when the convention center is set to host the Consumer Electronics Show.
That makes Musk one of the first people to hope that what happens in Vegas, won’t stay in Vegas.
