Two mile long Boring Company tunnel almost done

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The Boring Company will extend its tunneling project into the west side of Los Angeles. They want to tunnel 10 times faster and cheaper than traditional tunneling. Part of the gain is from having narrower tunnels compared to regular subways. Reducing the tunnel diameter by 50% will also reduce the cross-sectional area of the tunnel by a factor of four.

66 thoughts on “Two mile long Boring Company tunnel almost done”

  3. Uhmmm…excuse me! Excuse me! But where in those pics of BT tunnels are their sideways for passengers who need to evacuate a subway train? Or even space for them to share the tunnel with said train? Nowhere? So much for that brilliant 50% less idea, eh?

  4. Uhmmm…excuse me! Excuse me! But where in those pics of BT tunnels are their sideways for passengers who need to evacuate a subway train? Or even space for them to share the tunnel with said train?Nowhere? So much for that brilliant 50{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} less idea eh?

  9. There are a lot of holes in this tunneling scheme: 1. Too long lines for cars waiting to get into the tunnels entrances, backing up for blocks onto crowded streets, maybe more. A 1-car line as shown in the video is completely unrealistic,unless prices are multiple times taxi prices, and then, who’s it for? Musk and people with his kind of wealth only? 2. Too few passengers per sf in tunnel vs. mass transit. 3. The video makes the tunnel seem much larger than the Boring tunnel would be. 4. What if the sled breaks down? What are rescue contingencies in a sealed tunnel? 5. Far more people could be moved in a train-sized subway tunnel, but Musk’s tunnel would preclude that by using up finite space for “luxury” class tunnels instead. 5. Destinations far to limited to be practical, basically just A to B. What about dozens of other stops people need to get to? Lots of congestion expected at entrances and exits. 6. What if it snows or rains…into the holes? You’d need to provide a roof, at least, to keep out snow, and sewage to keep out water (what if here’s a flood? Most of lower Manhattan was under water during Hurricane Sandy.) That’ll take precious space on the street. I’m sure I’m missing some items, but Muck has too.

  10. There are a lot of holes in this tunneling scheme:1. Too long lines for cars waiting to get into the tunnels entrances backing up for blocks onto crowded streets maybe more. A 1-car line as shown in the video is completely unrealisticunless prices are multiple times taxi prices and then who’s it for? Musk and people with his kind of wealth only?2. Too few passengers per sf in tunnel vs. mass transit.3. The video makes the tunnel seem much larger than the Boring tunnel would be.4. What if the sled breaks down? What are rescue contingencies in a sealed tunnel?5. Far more people could be moved in a train-sized subway tunnel but Musk’s tunnel would preclude that by using up finite space for luxury”” class tunnels instead.5. Destinations far to limited to be practical”” basically just A to B. What about dozens of other stops people need to get to? Lots of congestion expected at entrances and exits.6. What if it snows or rains…into the holes? You’d need to provide a roof at least to keep out snow and sewage to keep out water (what if here’s a flood? Most of lower Manhattan was under water during Hurricane Sandy.) That’ll take precious space on the street.I’m sure I’m missing some items”” but Muck has too.”””

  13. The faux genius in action again. The only thing this tunnel does is move the traffic jam from the highway to the entrance of his tunnel. This does nothing to alleviate traffic conditions.

  14. The faux genius in action again. The only thing this tunnel does is move the traffic jam from the highway to the entrance of his tunnel. This does nothing to alleviate traffic conditions.

  15. Also, that Tesla in the tunnel wasn’t that tall. What about a taller SUV, or a van, or mini-van, especially one with an antenna on the roof, or possibly a roof rack? How are they going to sort all that stuff out?

  16. What does everyone think about the potential legal liability issues for this setup, if something were to go badly wrong?

  17. Around Los Angeles, it’s not so much heavy rains that you need to be worried about, but perhaps rather the potential for tremors or quakes. If such events were to happen while the tunnel track was being operated, then what would happen?

  18. Technically, it splits the traffic jam, since the original highway is still available in addition to the tunnel. Having built one tunnel, maybe he needs to build a few more. They don’t all have to be immediately alongside each other, but can each be located around the chokepoint area to bypass it.

  19. I don’t think elevators are a good approach. I think you want something like a big parking lot with perhaps 500 sleds at any given time that are in shallow trenches the same level as the lot. You can then get tens of thousand of cars on the sleds an hour per location. The sleds just move into the tunnels by the trench deepening as the sled moves out of the loading lot. It might look something like the US-Mexico boarder crossing at TJ, except perhaps branching to more lanes. Gates and gatekeepers insure that you park on the sled correctly. Once you put it in park and turn off the engine, you are sped on your way into the tunnel. Yes, it would mean a lot of traffic to get to it, but if there are enough gates then the throughput should be high. I actually think there are at least 3 better ways than this, and each quite different than this, but they would have to hire me. 🙂 There are so many great possibilities…the elevator in the middle of the street solution is just pathetic. Sounds like it came from your average 7-year-old. And the largest issue with that design is that you will need dozens if not thousands of these elevators and each one necessitates a lot of digging and mechanical stuff and a lot of off-ramp/on-ramp tunnels. And even if you have a few elevators sharing the same on-ramp/off-ramp tunnel, they take time to lower and raise interfering with one another. Each will have less throughput than cars on a single lane, twisty, gravel road in an ice storm at night during a caribou migration. Another issue is that small tunnels don’t allow air to move out of the way quickly at high speed. This leads to high drag and high energy utilization when at high speeds. This also makes a boom somewhat like a sonic boom as the pressure is released when someone uses the elevator. This is something they had to address for high speed trains. But the solution there is unlikely to work with the elevators. Another is that if you are using tires on the sleds tha

  20. Also that Tesla in the tunnel wasn’t that tall. What about a taller SUV or a van or mini-van especially one with an antenna on the roof or possibly a roof rack? How are they going to sort all that stuff out?

  21. What does everyone think about the potential legal liability issues for this setup if something were to go badly wrong?

  22. Around Los Angeles it’s not so much heavy rains that you need to be worried about but perhaps rather the potential for tremors or quakes. If such events were to happen while the tunnel track was being operated then what would happen?

  23. Technically it splits the traffic jam since the original highway is still available in addition to the tunnel. Having built one tunnel maybe he needs to build a few more. They don’t all have to be immediately alongside each other but can each be located around the chokepoint area to bypass it.

  24. I don’t think elevators are a good approach. I think you want something like a big parking lot with perhaps 500 sleds at any given time that are in shallow trenches the same level as the lot. You can then get tens of thousand of cars on the sleds an hour per location.The sleds just move into the tunnels by the trench deepening as the sled moves out of the loading lot.It might look something like the US-Mexico boarder crossing at TJ except perhaps branching to more lanes. Gates and gatekeepers insure that you park on the sled correctly. Once you put it in park and turn off the engine you are sped on your way into the tunnel.Yes it would mean a lot of traffic to get to it but if there are enough gates then the throughput should be high.I actually think there are at least 3 better ways than this and each quite different than this but they would have to hire me. :)There are so many great possibilities…the elevator in the middle of the street solution is just pathetic. Sounds like it came from your average 7-year-old.And the largest issue with that design is that you will need dozens if not thousands of these elevators and each one necessitates a lot of digging and mechanical stuff and a lot of off-ramp/on-ramp tunnels. And even if you have a few elevators sharing the same on-ramp/off-ramp tunnel they take time to lower and raise interfering with one another. Each will have less throughput than cars on a single lane twisty gravel road in an ice storm at night during a caribou migration.Another issue is that small tunnels don’t allow air to move out of the way quickly at high speed. This leads to high drag and high energy utilization when at high speeds. This also makes a boom somewhat like a sonic boom as the pressure is released when someone uses the elevator. This is something they had to address for high speed trains. But the solution there is unlikely to work with the elevators.Another is that if you are using tires on the

  26. . . . geotechnical and structural engineers agree that tunnels are among the safest places to be during an earthquake. … Turns out underground structures are safe because they move with the soil, while structures above ground sway back and forth.

  29. Also, that Tesla in the tunnel wasn’t that tall. What about a taller SUV, or a van, or mini-van, especially one with an antenna on the roof, or possibly a roof rack? How are they going to sort all that stuff out?

  30. Also that Tesla in the tunnel wasn’t that tall. What about a taller SUV or a van or mini-van especially one with an antenna on the roof or possibly a roof rack? How are they going to sort all that stuff out?

  31. What does everyone think about the potential legal liability issues for this setup, if something were to go badly wrong?

  32. What does everyone think about the potential legal liability issues for this setup if something were to go badly wrong?

  33. Around Los Angeles, it’s not so much heavy rains that you need to be worried about, but perhaps rather the potential for tremors or quakes. If such events were to happen while the tunnel track was being operated, then what would happen?

  34. Around Los Angeles it’s not so much heavy rains that you need to be worried about but perhaps rather the potential for tremors or quakes. If such events were to happen while the tunnel track was being operated then what would happen?

  35. Technically, it splits the traffic jam, since the original highway is still available in addition to the tunnel. Having built one tunnel, maybe he needs to build a few more. They don’t all have to be immediately alongside each other, but can each be located around the chokepoint area to bypass it.

  36. Technically it splits the traffic jam since the original highway is still available in addition to the tunnel. Having built one tunnel maybe he needs to build a few more. They don’t all have to be immediately alongside each other but can each be located around the chokepoint area to bypass it.

  37. “. . . geotechnical and structural engineers agree that tunnels are among the safest places to be during an earthquake. … Turns out underground structures are safe because they move with the soil, while structures above ground sway back and forth.”

  38. I don’t think elevators are a good approach. I think you want something like a big parking lot with perhaps 500 sleds at any given time that are in shallow trenches the same level as the lot. You can then get tens of thousand of cars on the sleds an hour per location. The sleds just move into the tunnels by the trench deepening as the sled moves out of the loading lot. It might look something like the US-Mexico boarder crossing at TJ, except perhaps branching to more lanes. Gates and gatekeepers insure that you park on the sled correctly. Once you put it in park and turn off the engine, you are sped on your way into the tunnel. Yes, it would mean a lot of traffic to get to it, but if there are enough gates then the throughput should be high. I actually think there are at least 3 better ways than this, and each quite different than this, but they would have to hire me. 🙂 There are so many great possibilities…the elevator in the middle of the street solution is just pathetic. Sounds like it came from your average 7-year-old. And the largest issue with that design is that you will need dozens if not thousands of these elevators and each one necessitates a lot of digging and mechanical stuff and a lot of off-ramp/on-ramp tunnels. And even if you have a few elevators sharing the same on-ramp/off-ramp tunnel, they take time to lower and raise interfering with one another. Each will have less throughput than cars on a single lane, twisty, gravel road in an ice storm at night during a caribou migration. Another issue is that small tunnels don’t allow air to move out of the way quickly at high speed. This leads to high drag and high energy utilization when at high speeds. This also makes a boom somewhat like a sonic boom as the pressure is released when someone uses the elevator. This is something they had to address for high speed trains. But the solution there is unlikely to work with the elevators. Another is that if you are using tires on the sleds tha

  39. I don’t think elevators are a good approach. I think you want something like a big parking lot with perhaps 500 sleds at any given time that are in shallow trenches the same level as the lot. You can then get tens of thousand of cars on the sleds an hour per location.The sleds just move into the tunnels by the trench deepening as the sled moves out of the loading lot.It might look something like the US-Mexico boarder crossing at TJ except perhaps branching to more lanes. Gates and gatekeepers insure that you park on the sled correctly. Once you put it in park and turn off the engine you are sped on your way into the tunnel.Yes it would mean a lot of traffic to get to it but if there are enough gates then the throughput should be high.I actually think there are at least 3 better ways than this and each quite different than this but they would have to hire me. :)There are so many great possibilities…the elevator in the middle of the street solution is just pathetic. Sounds like it came from your average 7-year-old.And the largest issue with that design is that you will need dozens if not thousands of these elevators and each one necessitates a lot of digging and mechanical stuff and a lot of off-ramp/on-ramp tunnels. And even if you have a few elevators sharing the same on-ramp/off-ramp tunnel they take time to lower and raise interfering with one another. Each will have less throughput than cars on a single lane twisty gravel road in an ice storm at night during a caribou migration.Another issue is that small tunnels don’t allow air to move out of the way quickly at high speed. This leads to high drag and high energy utilization when at high speeds. This also makes a boom somewhat like a sonic boom as the pressure is released when someone uses the elevator. This is something they had to address for high speed trains. But the solution there is unlikely to work with the elevators.Another is that if you are using tires on the

  40. The faux genius in action again. The only thing this tunnel does is move the traffic jam from the highway to the entrance of his tunnel. This does nothing to alleviate traffic conditions.

  41. The faux genius in action again. The only thing this tunnel does is move the traffic jam from the highway to the entrance of his tunnel. This does nothing to alleviate traffic conditions.

  45. Also, that Tesla in the tunnel wasn’t that tall. What about a taller SUV, or a van, or mini-van, especially one with an antenna on the roof, or possibly a roof rack? How are they going to sort all that stuff out?

  47. Around Los Angeles, it’s not so much heavy rains that you need to be worried about, but perhaps rather the potential for tremors or quakes. If such events were to happen while the tunnel track was being operated, then what would happen?

  48. Technically, it splits the traffic jam, since the original highway is still available in addition to the tunnel. Having built one tunnel, maybe he needs to build a few more. They don’t all have to be immediately alongside each other, but can each be located around the chokepoint area to bypass it.

  49. I don’t think elevators are a good approach. I think you want something like a big parking lot with perhaps 500 sleds at any given time that are in shallow trenches the same level as the lot. You can then get tens of thousand of cars on the sleds an hour per location.
    The sleds just move into the tunnels by the trench deepening as the sled moves out of the loading lot.

    It might look something like the US-Mexico boarder crossing at TJ, except perhaps branching to more lanes. Gates and gatekeepers insure that you park on the sled correctly. Once you put it in park and turn off the engine, you are sped on your way into the tunnel.

    Yes, it would mean a lot of traffic to get to it, but if there are enough gates then the throughput should be high.

    I actually think there are at least 3 better ways than this, and each quite different than this, but they would have to hire me. 🙂

    There are so many great possibilities…the elevator in the middle of the street solution is just pathetic. Sounds like it came from your average 7-year-old.

    And the largest issue with that design is that you will need dozens if not thousands of these elevators and each one necessitates a lot of digging and mechanical stuff and a lot of off-ramp/on-ramp tunnels. And even if you have a few elevators sharing the same on-ramp/off-ramp tunnel, they take time to lower and raise interfering with one another. Each will have less throughput than cars on a single lane, twisty, gravel road in an ice storm at night during a caribou migration.

    Another issue is that small tunnels don’t allow air to move out of the way quickly at high speed. This leads to high drag and high energy utilization when at high speeds. This also makes a boom somewhat like a sonic boom as the pressure is released when someone uses the elevator. This is something they had to address for high speed trains. But the solution there is unlikely to work with the elevators.

    Another is that if you are using tires on the sleds that increases friction and also leads to tire dust accumulation in the tunnels. It will not happen quickly but it will happen and it will have to be cleaned periodically…like perhaps once a year. Think about it. Where did your tread go when it was worn down? It ends up on the road and nearby and then down the storm drains, and into the ocean. But there really is no “nearby” in a compact tunnel. And there is no rain to wash it away.

    If, and more likely when, idiots start moving their cars while on the the sleds, the government will start requiring the Boring company to tie down the cars, or shut them down. And if you have to strap every car down, that will lead to very slow transition in and out of the system. And you would need an attendant for every elevator.

    Then there are bozos who will want to step out of their car when the sled is moving or put the top down on their convertible.

    And you have to shut the system down after someone decides to commit suicide, and clean up.

  50. The faux genius in action again. The only thing this tunnel does is move the traffic jam from the highway to the entrance of his tunnel. This does nothing to alleviate traffic conditions.

  51. There are a lot of holes in this tunneling scheme: 1. Too long lines for cars waiting to get into the tunnels entrances, backing up for blocks onto crowded streets, maybe more. A 1-car line as shown in the video is completely unrealistic,unless prices are multiple times taxi prices, and then, who’s it for? Musk and people with his kind of wealth only? 2. Too few passengers per sf in tunnel vs. mass transit. 3. The video makes the tunnel seem much larger than the Boring tunnel would be. 4. What if the sled breaks down? What are rescue contingencies in a sealed tunnel? 5. Far more people could be moved in a train-sized subway tunnel, but Musk’s tunnel would preclude that by using up finite space for “luxury” class tunnels instead. 5. Destinations far to limited to be practical, basically just A to B. What about dozens of other stops people need to get to? Lots of congestion expected at entrances and exits. 6. What if it snows or rains…into the holes? You’d need to provide a roof, at least, to keep out snow, and sewage to keep out water (what if here’s a flood? Most of lower Manhattan was under water during Hurricane Sandy.) That’ll take precious space on the street. I’m sure I’m missing some items, but Muck has too.

  52. There are a lot of holes in this tunneling scheme:1. Too long lines for cars waiting to get into the tunnels entrances backing up for blocks onto crowded streets maybe more. A 1-car line as shown in the video is completely unrealisticunless prices are multiple times taxi prices and then who’s it for? Musk and people with his kind of wealth only?2. Too few passengers per sf in tunnel vs. mass transit.3. The video makes the tunnel seem much larger than the Boring tunnel would be.4. What if the sled breaks down? What are rescue contingencies in a sealed tunnel?5. Far more people could be moved in a train-sized subway tunnel but Musk’s tunnel would preclude that by using up finite space for luxury”” class tunnels instead.5. Destinations far to limited to be practical”” basically just A to B. What about dozens of other stops people need to get to? Lots of congestion expected at entrances and exits.6. What if it snows or rains…into the holes? You’d need to provide a roof at least to keep out snow and sewage to keep out water (what if here’s a flood? Most of lower Manhattan was under water during Hurricane Sandy.) That’ll take precious space on the street.I’m sure I’m missing some items”” but Muck has too.”””

  56. There are a lot of holes in this tunneling scheme:
    1. Too long lines for cars waiting to get into the tunnels entrances, backing up for blocks onto crowded streets, maybe more. A 1-car line as shown in the video is completely unrealistic,unless prices are multiple times taxi prices, and then, who’s it for? Musk and people with his kind of wealth only?
    2. Too few passengers per sf in tunnel vs. mass transit.
    3. The video makes the tunnel seem much larger than the Boring tunnel would be.
    4. What if the sled breaks down? What are rescue contingencies in a sealed tunnel?
    5. Far more people could be moved in a train-sized subway tunnel, but Musk’s tunnel would preclude that by using up finite space for “luxury” class tunnels instead.
    5. Destinations far to limited to be practical, basically just A to B. What about dozens of other stops people need to get to? Lots of congestion expected at entrances and exits.
    6. What if it snows or rains…into the holes? You’d need to provide a roof, at least, to keep out snow, and sewage to keep out water (what if here’s a flood? Most of lower Manhattan was under water during Hurricane Sandy.) That’ll take precious space on the street.
    I’m sure I’m missing some items, but Muck has too.

  57. Seems like a sharp turn to take a t 100 mph. Maybe it was just to test turning the tunneling machine.

  58. Seems like a sharp turn to take a t 100 mph. Maybe it was just to test turning the tunneling machine.

  59. Uhmmm…excuse me! Excuse me! But where in those pics of BT tunnels are their sideways for passengers who need to evacuate a subway train? Or even space for them to share the tunnel with said train? Nowhere? So much for that brilliant 50% less idea, eh?

  60. Uhmmm…excuse me! Excuse me! But where in those pics of BT tunnels are their sideways for passengers who need to evacuate a subway train? Or even space for them to share the tunnel with said train?Nowhere? So much for that brilliant 50{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} less idea eh?

  65. Uhmmm…excuse me! Excuse me!

    But where in those pics of BT tunnels are their sideways for passengers who need to evacuate a subway train? Or even space for them to share the tunnel with said train?

    Nowhere? So much for that brilliant 50% less idea, eh?

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