Surety Bonds

Boring Gets Exciting: Tunneling To The Future

02.18.2021

Four miles in five minutes? It could happen—in California’s San Bernardino County. Plans and negotiations underway for an underground transit loop illustrate how a transportation revolution could be in reach.

 New Transit Loops In Las Vegas and San Bernardino

 Members of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) unanimously voted to proceed to contract negotiations with the Boring Co. for a 4-mile transit loop. Owned by Elon Musk, the Boring Co. has been constructing a similar tunnel and tram system underneath the convention center in Las Vegas. Deemed “substantially complete,” the Las Vegas Loop is estimated at $35-$45 million.

San Bernardino’s loop would connect Rancho Cucamonga’s Metrolink Station with the Ontario International Airport. As Construction Dive reports:

Should the sides reach an agreement, a contract could be prepared for board approval by September, and completion and operation of the people mover could come as early as 2023.

The loop would require construction of three above-ground stations, including one near the existing Metrolink rail station and two at the airport’s terminals.

The San Bernardino loop… will likely look much like the LVCVA loop when finished. The latter includes two, 1-mile-long tunnels, which will use Tesla vehicles to rapidly transport attendees across the convention center campus.

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 Speed With Ease

Completion of both the Las Vegas and San Bernardino Loops is anticipated swiftly. Boring Co.’s innovative equipment is designed for speed:

The company’s boring machine — designed to tunnel faster and more consistently than traditional machines — would carve a path under Milliken Avenue and then west to Airport Drive. When finished, Tesla Model 3s or 12-passenger Tesla trams would autonomously drive through the tunnels at speeds of up to 127 mph, covering the 4-mile trip in about five minutes.

San Bernardino’s Daily Bulletin reports that the electric trams produce zero emissions, and when complete, will transport about 1,200 people each day:

Curt Hagman, county supervisor and vice president of the SBCTA board, said Thursday. “I’ve seen the technology and I believe in it. I think it is the beginning of the future of three-dimensional travel at an affordable rate.”

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 Founded in 1930, Colonial Surety Company is a leading direct seller and writer of surety bonds and insurance products across the USA. Colonial is rated “A Excellent” by A.M. Best Company and U.S. Treasury listed.