Boring Co. may begin exclusive negotiations with Fort Lauderdale, FL, on the construction of the tunnel

Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Elon Musk's Boring Co. may begin exclusive negotiations with the authorities of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the construction of the tunnel. The proposed tunnel could connect downtown and the beach and partially solve the problem of congested traffic.

At the end of June, the Boring Company submitted a proposal to build a tunnel in Florida, as announced by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis. The new transit loop, called “The Las Olas Loop,” represents an innovative approach to addressing traffic congestion and transit needs. The tunnel is supposed to connect downtown and Fort Lauderdale Beach to ensure fast travel along this route.

The deadline for other companies to submit proposals to compete with the proposed Boring Co. project in Fort Lauderdale, expired August 30, Bloomberg reports. This means that Musk's company can begin exclusive negotiations with the city authorities. The Fort Lauderdale city manager and the attorney will now seek plenipotentiary approval to negotiate an agreement with Boring Co., city spokeswoman Ashley Doussard said.

“Along with negotiating an agreement with Boring, there will be a significant amount of technical and engineering and regulatory work that will need to be done,” she said. "Speculating on a timeline would not be possible at this point."

The proposed tunnel, consisting of two in different directions, will stretch from downtown to the beach for a distance of about 2.5 miles in each direction. Passengers will ride in special Tesla vehicles, such as those found in the company's existing tunnels in Las Vegas. The loop will be Boring Co.'s first commercial venture outside Nevada and will involve solving complex problems such as tunneling underwater.

The other two companies reportedly submitted proposals, but initial verification found they did not comply with Florida's public-private partnership laws. In early July, city commissioners voted 4-1 to accept the original Boring Co. proposal on the project. The plan cannot be disclosed until the commission decides whether to proceed with its implementation.

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