Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) has wrapped up its tunnel vision challenge, and the results are bigger than most anticipated. Rather than selecting a single winner, TBC announced three winning projects it will fund and build entirely at its own expense, pending feasibility reviews. That’s a significant commitment for a company still proving its commercial model to skeptics.
Three winning tunnels, dubbed the NOLA Loop in New Orleans, Ravens Loop in Baltimore, and the University Hills Loop in Dallas, are all designed for passenger transport via vehicles. TBC will cover 100% of due diligence costs before breaking ground, which includes geotechnical borings, utility and subsurface infrastructure investigations, and meetings with elected officials, regulators, and community leaders.
What happens if Not all three are feasible? diligence process is rigorous, and TBC has been transparent about the contingencies. If all three projects clear the feasibility bar, all three get built. If only one does, that’s the one that moves forward. It’s a straightforward, no-nonsense framework, and frankly, a refreshing contrast to how infrastructure projects typically unfold.
Beyond the three headline winners, TBC also identified two additional projects compelling enough to keep in play: the Hendersonville Utility Tunnel in Hendersonville, TN, and Morgan’s Wonderland Tunnel in San Antonio, TX. These won’t receive automatic funding, but TBC has committed to working with those teams to explore a viable path forward.
This challenge originated from a January 19 announcement in which TBC opened submissions to anyone interested in a mile-long tunnel with a 12-foot inner diameter, built at zero cost to the proposer. The response, according to TBC’s post on X, was overwhelming.
What’s strategically interesting here isn’t just the generosity, it’s the pipeline. Each feasibility study generates real-world geotechnical data, stakeholder relationships, and regulatory groundwork that TBC can leverage across future projects. Winning communities get infrastructure; TBC gets invaluable operational intelligence.
Three cities. Zero construction costs. One company quietly boring its way into America’s urban fabric, The Boring Company is clearly thinking long-term.
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