Dive Brief:

• Although it originally proposed the idea for a tunnel connecting a Metrolink train station to Ontario International Airport in Southern California, the odds that The Boring Co. will be selected to do the work on the project look slim.
• The Elon Musk-owned tunneling company failed to meet a proposal deadline earlier this year, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority confirmed to Construction Dive.
• This means there is a chance that the company may not participate in the construction of the 4-mile-long transit loop connecting the Rancho Cucamonga, California, Metrolink station to the airport located 38 miles west of Los Angeles, said Tim Watkins, chief of legislative public affairs for SBCTA. Watkins said he couldn’t speculate on the reason for the missed deadline. 

Dive Insight:

The project will advance with or without TBC, as it continues through its environmental impact phase, which could take up to 18 months. 

During that environmental impact period, SBCTA will look for contractors to propose designs. Once they receive qualifications they’ll pick the top two firms to submit proposals. Watkins said the missed deadline won’t preclude TBC from participating in the process to win the project.

TBC originally suggested the project to SBCTA unprompted in 2019. As a result, the project might not exist without it.

“I want to applaud the Boring Co. for even introducing an innovative solution.” Watkins said. “If we can find solutions and address challenges hopefully at a lower overall cost, we want to continue to explore that.”

The company did not respond to Construction Dive’s request for comment.

TBC has pitched and pursued tunnel projects in cities like San Antonio, Texas; Miami; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but thus far, has only bored one contracted project. 

The company recently opened its first new station in the future Las Vegas Loop — an expansion of its first commercial project. Teslas now can transport passengers below ground between Resorts World Las Vegas and the stations near the Las Vegas Convention Center. Nevertheless, for the time being, only convention-goers can exit the vehicles — other passengers can merely go for the ride.

Resorts World is the first of more than 50 stations slated to open, which will mostly sit above ground, and connect Las Vegas from below.