Elon Musk Turns “Tunnel‑Casual” Joke into La‑City Reality
Back in 2016, the walking‑robot‑wearing tech wizard Elon Musk, fed up with downtown Los Angeles traffic, bragged that he’d “build a tunnel system” and that it would be faster than a flying squirrel on a caffeine binge. Fast forward two years, the billionaire actually opened the first underground test road in the sleepy suburb of Hawthorne – right below his SpaceX headquarters – to prove the idea works.
Live‑Test Excitement
- Special guests got to ride the first Hawthorne Test Tunnel in a primetime panel, where the final ride looked a lot like a gliding comic‑book hero.
- The video of the test—captured by curious reporters and insiders—showed cars cruising past stations with the same speed it would take a fast‑food delivery guy to finish his lunch.
Why It Feels Like Teleportation
Musk’s vision: vehicles can safely travel at over 150 mph inside the tunnel. Close enough and you’ll be laughing because, in a city, that’s practically instant relocation.
Behind the Scenes
First‑time tunnel cost $10 million—and that’s just for the track. The price for the custom tunneling machine plus research and development automatically increased the cost. Musk thinks the Boring Company will, in the future, cut the time it takes to dig by 15 times thanks to smarter, faster technology.
What It Means for L.A.
While this gateway is just a sneak peek, it’s a clear step toward a comprehensive underground system that could dramatically reduce ground traffic, give commuters a much faster ride and—cheaper by comparison—outpace most over‑the‑road solutions.
So, dear readers: if you ever dreamed of teleporting to your next appointment, keep your eyes on the tunnel, because it might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
