Elon Musk promises cheap tunnels under Miami
No time right now?
Elon Musk wants to build a tunnel under Miami with his The Boring Company. While the local authorities had calculated a cost of one billion dollars, Musk wants to do it for 30 million.
A saving of 970 million US dollars should leave no one indifferent in politics. Instead of 1,000 million US dollars, a planned tunnel under the city of Miami is now only 30 million dollars.
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Miami’s mayor is happy about massive cost savings
Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez wanted to share the good news with his citizens as authentically as possible, which is why he probably decided on a tweet and video.
Just had my call w / @elonmusk regarding @boringcompany tunnels coming to MIA
DETAILS BELOW👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/NsJFYcvGeQ
– Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) February 5, 2021
The massive cost savings of 97 percent is not the only argument in favor of Musk’s company building the 3.2 kilometer long tunnel. Equally important is Musk’s alleged promise to be able to build the structure within just six months. The original plan envisages a construction period of four years. That reports The Verge.
The Boring Company tunnel boring machine works fast
The Boring Company’s tunnel boring machine is the key factor here. A conventional tunnel boring machine, for example, needs eight to twelve weeks for a 1.6 kilometer tunnel. The Boring Company covers this distance in a week. Under Miami, the construction progress should take a little longer, because the rock under the city consists of porous and therefore water-permeable limestone.
The potential collaboration between Miami and Musk goes back to a tweet that Musk posted in mid-January. In it he tweeted: “Cars and trucks stuck in traffic generate megatons of toxic emissions and particulate matter, but the @boringcompany road tunnel under Miami would solve the traffic problem and be a role model for the world.”
Cars & trucks stuck in traffic generate megatons of toxic gases & particulate, but @boringcompany road tunnels under Miami would solve traffic & be an example to the world.
Spoke with @RonDeSantisFL about tunnels last week. If Governor & Mayor want this done, we will do it.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 18, 2021
Ron DeSantis, the governor of the US state Florida, supports the project. He also assumes that the project would have a beacon character beyond Florida.
The Boring Company is not drilling the first tunnel
The tunnel under Miami would not be the first of its kind. In mid-May 2020, The Boring Company had already planned a tunnel about as long as it is now under Miami, under the Las Vegas Convention Center. Musk has also had a tunnel bored under SpaceX’s Hawthorne site.
