Elon Musk's Boring Co. is abandoning plans to build a 2.5-mile test tunnel underneath the 405 freeway and Sepulveda Boulevard in the Westside area of Los Angeles.
The controversial project had been the focus of a lawsuit filed by two neighborhood groups, accusing L.A. officials of violating state law by exempting the plans from environmental review. A settlement was reached last month and, this week, the Boring Co. and the Westside activists made the closure official.
Musk's tunnel-digging plans will now shift to completing the tunnel to the Dodgers stadium. The company's L.A./Hawthorne test tunnel is also due to open next month, with Musk promising free rides to the public.
The plaintiffs in the now-settled lawsuit cited the disruptive nature of the work that goes into creating the extensively large underground loops. They also said the scale of the project would be too big to qualify for an environmental exemption.
The Boring Co. tunnels will rely on Loop shuttles that can carry pedestrians, cyclists and private vehicles at speeds of up to 150 mph. Its aim is to ferry travelers around on those shuttles in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion in the city.
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Source: Engadget
