Chicago Taps Elon Musk’s Company to Build High-Speed Tunneling System

Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been chosen by authorities in Chicago to build a transportation system that would take passengers from the city’s downtown area to O’Hare Airport at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the news late Wednesday, saying the “transformative project” will help the city “write the next chapter in our legacy of innovation and invention.” A decade ago, Chicago authorities poured more than $250 million into a subway superstation that was meant to provide high-speed trains to city airports, but the project was later shelved and has hung over taxpayers’ heads ever since. Rahm on Wednesday said no taxpayer funds would be used for the latest project, which would rely on Musk’s untested tunneling technology to get passengers to the airport in a mere 12 minutes. The plan would consist of 16-passenger electric vehicles that would leave O’Hare and the downtown area every 30 seconds, city officials said. Emanuel is expected to offer more details on the project at a press conference with Musk on Thursday.