The Boring Company announced shortly after midnight that the University Hills Loop in Dallas was selected as one of three winning proposals, alongside projects in New Orleans and Baltimore.
The company said each winning project could receive up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost, part of its “Tunnel Vision Challenge” aimed at testing real-world applications for underground transit systems.
But even with winners announced, the project is far from guaranteed.
The next step, according to The Boring Company, will involve “rigorous diligence” meetings with local officials and business leaders to determine whether construction is feasible.
“Once the diligence (100% funded by TBC) is complete, if all 3 projects are feasible, will fund/build all 3,” the company said in its announcement on X. “If only 1 is feasible, will fund/build 1.”
Chron has reached out to the City of Dallas for additional details on the project but has not received a response.
Dallas had already been positioning the University Hills development as a strong contender. City officials previously said the proposed tunnel could connect the planned mixed-use neighborhood in southern Dallas to the University of North Texas Dallas DART station.
“University Hills is a catalyst for economic opportunity in Southern Dallas, and improved connectivity is a critical part of that vision,” Mike Hoque, Founder and CEO of Hoque Global, previously told The Dallas Morning News in a statement.
The 280-acre development is expected to include hundreds of homes, retail space and a walkable town center, with construction already underway on infrastructure.
Texas was heavily represented throughout the competition. More than a dozen communities nationwide were named finalists out of nearly 500 submissions, including The Woodlands and proposals in San Antonio. Despite not being selected, officials in The Woodlands said the process still helped advance local conversations around future transportation.
“While not selected, this process provided an opportunity to contribute to a broader conversation about the future of transportation and to showcase the planning and vision that define The Woodlands,” Director of Communications LeaAnn Peterson told Chron.
“The Woodlands remains focused on identifying solutions that support mobility and quality of life, with a continued commitment to evaluating ideas that serve residents now and into the future.”
The Boring Company also said two additional proposals, including Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio and Hendersonville, Tennessee, remain under consideration following the initial selection.
“There were multiple other projects that TBC thought were so compelling that we are going to continue to work with the entrants and try to get them built,” the company explained.
For Texas, the outcome highlights both the state’s growing role in Musk’s infrastructure ambitions and the reality that even high-profile proposals face a long road from concept to construction.