WASHINGTON — Transportation pioneer Elon Musk has been granted permission to dig tunnels in Maryland for his high-speed Hyperloop project, which ultimately aims to transport passengers from Washington to New York City in 29 minutes. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan made the announcement on Twitter that digging will begin in Maryland — the first state to grant a permit to allow building of the Hyperloop, which aims to transport passenger pods at rocket speeds in vacuum-sealed tubes. The Maryland Department of Transportation has granted a conditional utility permit to Musk’s tunneling business, The Boring Co., to dig a tunnel beneath a 10.3 mile stretch of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway which is owned by the state. Most of the BW Parkway is on land owned by the federal government.
Get hyped. 🚄 pic.twitter.com/gPRTQWnICi
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) October 19, 2017
The state said it does not expect to contribute to the building of the project, which will be funded by Musk’s companies. Legally, the state will treat the Hyperloop project similarly to utilities, which are granted permits to burrow beneath public roadways. No details have been released by Musk or the state offering details of the project’s ultimate route or timelines on construction.
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The Baltimore Sun reports that it’s not clear what environmental review or other permitting procedures will need to take place before ground is broken.