FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Plans by a company owned by Elon Musk to build tunnels underneath Fort Lauderdale connecting its downtown to the beach are now on hold.
The Boring Company’s plans to build a “Las Olas Loop” were first announced back in 2021. The plan was trumpeted as a way to alleviate traffic.
Officials approved an interim agreement with the company in June and the city has already spent $50,000 of nearly $400,000 shelled out to further study the proposal.
Now, in 2023, with a city commission featuring newly-elected members who aren’t fond of the idea, the plans are on pause.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, who championed the proposal, appears to have shifted his stance somewhat.
“I don’t want the city to get involved any further unless we know what the facts are, who we’re dealing with, what their commitment is to our city and what are the expectations and probability of their being able to complete a successful project,” Trantalis said.
A recent Wall Street Journal article accusing the company of “ghosting” cities across the country raised concerns on the commission.
“We don’t want Fort Lauderdale to suffer the same kind of experience,” Trantalis said. “Before we go any further, the city manager was tasked with contacting these other municipalities to see what really went on.”
The Fort Lauderdale proposal already had plenty of critics.
“It doesn’t seem to be about any kind of a valid transportation plan,” critic Robin Merrill said. “This just seems to be completely about celebrity, showboating and wanting to be on a map somewhere.”
Merrill, who has opposed the plan from the beginning, saying there are more pressing issues in need of attention.
“Raw sewage? That’s the ‘eau de Fort Lauderdale,’” she said. “We’re thinking about drilling under the ground when what’s under the ground is coming up into the street. It’s insane. Just take care of your s---.”
Still, Trantalis said he’s hopeful about the project’s future.
“New solutions often make people a little concerned about whether or not they apply here, but I really think that Fort Lauderdale will benefit from this,” he said.
Local 10 News reached out to The Boring Company for comment but hasn’t heard back.
Trantalis said it will take a few days for the city manager to hear from other cities and report back.