A special district in Orange County has taken a step toward a new transportation link between Universal Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The Shingle Creek Transit and Utility Community Development District Board voted Wednesday to begin contract negotiations with The Boring Company, which belongs to Elon Musk.”The Boring Company’s proposal best addressed the District’s request for an innovative, future-ready, point-to-point solution,” the district said in a news release.”Excellent, that’s what we should be doing. This is the way to go,” said Dr. Luis Arboleda, a professor at the University of Central Florida.Though the proposal has not been released, The Boring Company is known for underground tunnels, such as the ones in Las Vegas. Arboleda said he’s excited about the idea of tunnels possibly coming to Orlando.As a professor of the state’s only underground construction course, he said it’s time for Central Florida to look at a new form of transportation.”When are we going to be building the infrastructure of the future? And in Central Florida, it’s simple. We need to start thinking about underground,” he said. Arboleda admits that if an underground tunnel does come, engineers would have to overcome several challenges because of our state’s risk for flooding and sinkholes.”You cannot have a vertical cut of loose sandy soils on the very high water tables. That is what the textbooks we define a flowing ground condition. And a flowing ground condition is detrimental for anything that we’re going to be building underground,” he said.However, despite the potential issues, Arboleda said he thinks a tunnel is doable. “We’re not the first ones to do this. You know, there have been so many tunneling projects all around the world similar soil conditions, even more challenging soil conditions,” he said.The talks between the special district and The Boring Company are still in the early stages.The board has to finalize a construction schedule, map out the exact route and assess the financing required to build underground tunnels in Florida.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

A special district in Orange County has taken a step toward a new transportation link between Universal Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

The Shingle Creek Transit and Utility Community Development District Board voted Wednesday to begin contract negotiations with The Boring Company, which belongs to Elon Musk.

“The Boring Company’s proposal best addressed the District’s request for an innovative, future-ready, point-to-point solution,” the district said in a news release.

“Excellent, that’s what we should be doing. This is the way to go,” said Dr. Luis Arboleda, a professor at the University of Central Florida.

Though the proposal has not been released, The Boring Company is known for underground tunnels, such as the ones in Las Vegas.

Arboleda said he’s excited about the idea of tunnels possibly coming to Orlando.

As a professor of the state’s only underground construction course, he said it’s time for Central Florida to look at a new form of transportation.

“When are we going to be building the infrastructure of the future? And in Central Florida, it’s simple. We need to start thinking about underground,” he said.

Arboleda admits that if an underground tunnel does come, engineers would have to overcome several challenges because of our state’s risk for flooding and sinkholes.

“You cannot have a vertical cut of loose sandy soils on the very high water tables. That is what the textbooks we define a flowing ground condition. And a flowing ground condition is detrimental for anything that we’re going to be building underground,” he said.

However, despite the potential issues, Arboleda said he thinks a tunnel is doable.

“We’re not the first ones to do this. You know, there have been so many tunneling projects all around the world [with] similar soil conditions, even more challenging soil conditions,” he said.

The talks between the special district and The Boring Company are still in the early stages.

The board has to finalize a construction schedule, map out the exact route and assess the financing required to build underground tunnels in Florida.