A major development in deep South Dallas will be part of a high-profile infrastructure project led by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, according to a press release.
The University Hills area will feature a mile-long underground tunnel, the University Hills Loop, that will connect the community directly to the University of North Texas Dallas DART Station.
The project was chosen from 487 entries as part of the company’s Tunnel Vision Challenge, with 16 finalists competing nationwide for this highly sought-after, unprecedented project.
University Hills joins two other successful proposals — Las Vegas and Baltimore — announced by The Boring Company on social media. The three winners were the NOLA Loop in New Orleans, La, the Ravens Loop in Baltimore, Md and the University Hills Loop in Dallas.
The Boring Company originally posted the following pitch idea for submissions on its X profile on Jan 18: “Announcing the Tunnel Vision Challenge! Pitch us your best 1-mile tunnel idea — whether it’s for loop, freight, pedestrian, utility or something else — and we’ll select a winner to build it — for free!”
The company was expected to announce a single project winner from its 16 projects but instead chose three. In a social media post, the company said it was overwhelmed with the submissions and decided to expand the number of winners.
The next steps for The Boring Company and project stakeholders include meeting with elected officials and other community leaders. The company will also consider utility and subsurface investigations, as well as geotechnical borings.
Mike Hoque, CEO of Hoque Global, said in a statement that it was an honor to win the competition.
“University Hills is innovative in all of its features to bring connectivity and growth, and this recognition highlights the development’s landmark work for Dallas and Southern Dallas and shows how emerging infrastructure solutions can strengthen access to transit, jobs, and opportunity for the surrounding community,” Hoque said.
The loop is an underground tunnel for high-speed electric vehicles to bypass surface traffic, aiming to improve connectivity and reduce congestion.
University Hills is a $1 billion, 280-acre mixed-use development by Hoque Global, featuring hundreds of homes, phased growth and a walkable town center.
The tunnel would provide a direct, multimodal link between the development and the wider North Texas transit system.
“It is an honor to be recognized … as the winning project,” Hoque said.
He added that the project highlights how “emerging infrastructure solutions can strengthen access to transit, jobs and opportunity.”
“UNT Dallas is pleased that this innovative tunnel will increase access to and from our campus and the region.
“It symbolizes the ongoing growth of southern Dallas through technology, collaboration, and forward-thinking and will strengthen the community around the university,” said UNT Dallas President Dr. Warren von Eschenbach during a press conference.
Officials at UNT Dallas believe the tunnel will improve campus access and community ties.
Musk’s Dallas tunnel project adds to his list of Texas ventures, which include a $20 billion chip plant in Central Texas, Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin and SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica.
