Elon Musk said Sunday that The Boring Company is working on a high-speed tunnel linking Austin and San Antonio that could cut a drive often stretched by traffic to under 30 minutes.
In a post on X, Musk described the project as “a simple, precursor Hyperloop tunnel between Austin and San Antonio (>200 mph).” He noted that traffic congestion can push the journey to as long as 2.5 hours and said the company “can reduce that to a consistent <30 mins.”
The announcement came in reply to an AI-generated video of a science-fiction future that Musk had shared earlier, writing, “This is the future we shall bring into being.” The Boring Company’s official account quickly endorsed the idea, stating it “would be excited and honored to build this massive infrastructure project.”
The company added that because the system would operate as an express service with no intermediate stops, a rider could go from an Austin parking lot to a San Antonio restaurant in about 30 minutes, provided both locations have Loop stations.
The two cities sit roughly 80 miles apart by road. At average speeds above 200 mph, the trip would take around 24 minutes before accounting for acceleration, braking and station time, according to calculations based on Musk’s figures.
Musk provided no route details, cost estimates, construction timeline or information on permits and local government approvals. No formal engineering filings or partnership announcements with Texas agencies have been released.
The Boring Company, founded by Musk, currently operates the Vegas Loop in Las Vegas, a system that moves passengers in Tesla vehicles through tunnels and surface routes centered on the convention center area. Many earlier proposals for larger networks in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and a New York-to-Washington corridor have not advanced to construction.
Earlier this month the company closed a $3 billion funding round led by investors from the United Arab Emirates, valuing the firm at $23 billion. Company statements indicated the capital would support underground transportation projects, including work in the UAE.
Musk first floated a simplified Hyperloop-style demonstration between the two Texas cities in a 2022 post. The latest comments mark a more direct claim that the company is actively developing the project.
The Boring Company has tested high-speed concepts and maintains a test track near its Bastrop, Texas, headquarters. Full Hyperloop designs envisioned by the company involve autonomous electric pods traveling in low-pressure tunnels at speeds potentially exceeding 600 mph for longer distances, with the Austin-San Antonio effort described as an intermediate step.
Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio is among the more congested corridors in Texas, with travel times varying widely depending on the hour and day. An underground express link would bypass surface traffic entirely if built.
As of Monday, local officials in Austin and San Antonio had not publicly responded to the proposal, and no environmental reviews or right-of-way discussions had been disclosed.
