LAS VEGAS (AP) — A company headed by Tesla Inc. chief Elon Musk passed a hurdle Wednesday in its plan to drill an underground motorway beneath the Las Vegas Strip that could one day also link the city’s busy international airport and downtown casino mall.
The Clark County Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for The Boring Co. to submit plans for some 29 miles (47 kilometers) of twin tunnels dubbed the Vegas Loop.
An overall cost wasn’t disclosed. Las Vegas Convention and Tourism Authority chief Steve Hill said it could cost up to $1 billion and will be privately funded.
The tunnel system would connect with an existing Convention Center Loop the company began operating in June. It whisks trade show attendees in Tesla electric vehicles between stops on the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center campus.
The elected body with Strip jurisdiction granted Boring a 50-year franchise agreement to operate the system, collect fares and handle advertising and partnerships. A quarterly county franchise payment would be based on revenues.
