LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas Loop got the OK to tunnel into the City of Las Vegas on Wednesday, and the underground transit system will connect the Strip to downtown.
Construction by the Boring Company — Elon Musk’s venture that has already built tunnels at the Las Vegas Convention Center — is expected to begin by early next year. Tesla Models X and Y are used in the tunnels.
A planned route map shows it connecting at Sahara Avenue and the Strip, with a route under Las Vegas Boulevard, over to Main Street and back around to the STRAT. Five stations are planned to start:
- The STRAT
- Slotzilla
- Fremont Street Experience
- Garage Mahal (at Circa)
- Plaza Hotel & Casino
Although all the initial stops are well-established tourism destinations, the city agreement also specifies “a mechanism to get additional funding that could be used to fund civic stations in support of our downtown districts and any other tunnel extension/civic stations the city desires,” mentioning the Arts District by name.
More than five miles of tunnels will be excavated — all without taxpayer expense, according to the city. The Boring Company has agreed to provide any unique firefighting or other equipment required to ensure the tunnels are safe.
The Las Vegas section of the project will add to a larger project in Clark County. In total, the Vegas Loop is expected to be a tunnel network of more than 34 miles, eventually connecting downtown to UNLV, and eventually Harry Reid International Airport.
Planning fees, permits and inspections could produce as much as $2 million over the course of the Las Vegas section of the loop, according to the city.