I just brought you news about the potential opportunity to pilot the tunnel-digging beast that is Godot, assuming you have enough friends who want a Model S or Model X – and your opportunity might take place under the streets of Los Angeles. As of the morning of August 29, Elon Musk has received official approval from Los Angeles City Council to begin extending the tunnel he begun on SpaceX’s property a total of two miles. The council approved his request with a 4-1 vote (who really downvoted this, seriously?) and have authorized a two-mile stretch of tunnel below 120th street, effectively connecting the SpaceX car elevator to Hawthorne Boulevard by the time everything is said and done. It’s not all fun and games, though, and it could prove to be challenging as there is at least one requirement that The Boring Company must follow.

All told, Godot can do its thing under 120th under the stipulation that the surface area above doesn’t subside by more than half of an inch in any place. There’s no word as to what will happen should such a thing take place, but one has to assume that digging will be halted until a solution can be put in place and a new plan devised to prevent such a thing from occurring in the future. On the plus side, the tunnel will be dug at a depth of 44 feet below ground, which means city residents shouldn’t hear any of the construction, see construction crews, or have their lives interrupted in any way, shape, or form – assuming 120th doesn’t collapse into a massive man-made trench, that is. And, to prove a point, Musk has already released a photo of a Model S sitting inside the tunnel at its very first entry point. Check out the photo and learn a little more about it below.

It’s Not Exactly Like Throwing a Hotdog Through a Hallway

As you can see from the image above, Elon’s tunnels aren’t really all that big. Sure, they are large enough to support something as large as the Model S and probably even the Model X, but don’t expect to see massive Semis or Dump trucks making their way through any of the tunnels. In fact, you won’t even be allowed to drive through them – everything will be 100% automated. Cars will ride atop these little sleds while people will be transported in pods that have already been rendered and should carry somewhere around 10 people each.

Now, with that said, don’t get all uppity thinking that you’re going to be riding the Musk sled anytime soon. This two-mile tunnel isn’t slated for people moving just yet. In fact, it will be used to hone in the digging process and make Godot as efficient as possible. It will basically be a test bed for the entire process, but once everything is good to go, it’s quite likely that this tunnel will be expanded as part of the L.A. network of underground transit that Musk is trying to establish and put into service. It may be quite some time before it’s moving people around at high speed, but once the tunnels are in place and everything is safe, it should cut down on commute times drastically.

References

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