SAN ANTONIO – Nearly seven months after Alamo City officials said they were advancing discussions with The Boring Co. regarding a proposed underground transit tunnel connecting San Antonio International Airport with the downtown area, Elon Musk‘s venture has yet to strike a deal.
As the company focuses on other Texas projects, local stakeholders are still seeking more clarity on a San Antonio project that could cost upwards of $290 million to c onstruct.
“It’s complicated. We’ve just got to get it right,” said Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Chairman Mike Lynd, whose group has had a key role in talks with The Boring Co.
The Boring Co.’s signature project is the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop System, a 1.7-mile development that includes two tunnels and three stations. It’s expanding that system to connect with Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip.
Musk’s venture has encountered mixed results from different cities where it has pursued various transit tunnel plans. While some of those potential projects may have hit dead ends, others still have traction.
In May, Kyle’s City Council approved a professional services agreement to support engineering work for an underground pedestrian tunnel linking the city’s Plum Creek area with Kyle Crossing, a mixed-use development and entertainment destination.
The following month, The Boring Co., which developed a Tesla Gigafactory in Travis County, filed a site plan application with the City of Austin for a potential private access tunnel.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who has circled transportation infrastructure as a priority, isn’t sold on the tunnel option.
“We need multimodal connectivity,” he told me. “I don’t see where a tunnel project fits into that. I don’t know what it accomplishes.”
Last fall, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority issued a request for qualifications and proposals for a potential approach to design and build a transportation project generally connecting the airport to downtown San Antonio. In December, the RMA received proposals from five firms.
In March, the RMA interviewed two finalists, including Boring Co. Transit USAK was the other finalist.
Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.
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