Boring Co.’s Next Vegas Loop Tunnel Reaches Virgin Hotels

Digging on the next tunnel in the Vegas Loop has reached Virgin Hotels (the former Hard Rock Hotel) 1.5 miles east of the Strip.

On Friday, Elon Musk announced the milestone for his The Boring Co. (TBC) via its X/Twitter account.

“Within a few years, you will be able to get to all major destinations in the city super fast with electric cars in tunnels,” the richest person in the U.S. posted, though the average speed of the Teslas is currently only 30 mph.

The tunnel is part of the University Center Drive Loop, which began digging on 2 acres of land across from UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center on Paradise Road. This parcel, which TBC purchased in January for $7.2 million, will eventually be known as Paradise Station.

Digging on this tunnel, the longest so far, will continue until it reaches the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Silver Lot. By April 2025, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which commissioned the Vegas Loop in May 2019, it is expected to move passengers underground in two “Tesla tunnels” between the three sites.

So Close But Yet…

Though Paradise Station is only 2 miles from Harry Reid International Airport, it will not connect to it.

A separate expansion, approved by the Clark County Commission in October 2021, will begin at the airport, proceed to Allegiant Stadium, and then stop at 50 other stations before terminating 30 miles later at the Fremont Street Experience downtown.

Until this future loop opens, the Teslas may be permitted to drive the 2 miles on surface streets to Harry Reid.

“Go to the airport, drop somebody off, pick somebody up and get back in the system,” LVCVA president and CEO Steve Hill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in April. “At this point, it really starts to be a valuable and viable transportation system for everybody that’s connected.”

Work continues on expanding the TBC’s only currently operational tunnel, which connects the three halls of the convention center with Resorts World. The next casino resorts connected via that loop will be the Westgate and Encore.

Rides on this loop are currently free. Once the University Center loop opens, however, riders will be required to pay a fee to TBC.