LOS ANGELES, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors on Wednesday approved a contract with Elon Musk's The Boring Company (TBC) to design and construct a new underground people mover project encompassing Las Vegas's convention center.
The project, with a contract value of over 48 million U.S. dollars, could rapidly and safely carry passengers in autonomous electric vehicles via a loop of underground express-route tunnels.
The contract highlights three underground passenger stations, a pedestrian tunnel and two vehicular tunnels with an expected total length of one mile (1.6 km), according to a release of the LVCVA.
The loop will be designed for a capacity to carry at least 4,400 passengers per hour and is scalable depending on Las Vegas Convention Center attendance.
The convention center is currently in the midst of an expansion and will span 200 acres (0.8 square km) when it is completed in time for the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021, said the release.
"Las Vegas will continue to elevate the experience of our visitors with innovation, such as with this project, and by focusing on the current and future needs of our guests," said Steve Hill, LVCVA president and CEO.
The LVCVA's approval of the contract is a result of a multi-step process that started in 2018.
TBC's contract calls for an underground loop system that offers reduced total costs, less disruption to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and faster construction time than traditional at-grade or above-ground options while maximizing passenger and pedestrian safety, said the release.
According to the LVCVA, Las Vegas had more than 42 million visitors in 2018. The convention center hosts more than 1.6 million attendees annually.
