Hawthorne test tunnel
Tunnel for testing Loop-based transportation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hawthorne test tunnel, or Boring test tunnel, is a 1.14 miles (1.83 km) tunnel in Hawthorne, California, intended for testing “tunneling and public transportation systems”,[2] constructed between 2016 and 2018.[3][4] It was accompanied by a mile-long aboveground tube on nearby Jack Northrop Ave designed for testing hyperloop and loop-based transportation, which was used for student competitions in 2018 and 2019 before being dismantled in 2022.[5][6]
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- The R&D Tunnel
- Boring test tunnel
| Boring test tunnel | |
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 Interactive map of Boring test tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Other names |
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| Location | Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | |
| Route | West 120th Street |
| Start | SpaceX Parking Lot |
| Operation | |
| Work began | December 17, 2016 |
| Opened | December 18, 2018 |
| Operator | The Boring Company |
| Character | Limited access |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.14 mi; 6,000 ft (1.83 km)[1] |
| No. of lanes | 1 |
| Width | 12.5 feet (3.8 m) |
Description
The single-bore tunnel was constructed during using a 14-foot (4.2 m) diameter tunnel boring machine, giving a finished 12-foot (3.8 m) internal diameter. The roadway has an asphalt surface, with autonomous vehicle operation of the Tesla Model 3 at speeds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and up to 116 mph (187 km/h) under human control.[7] The Boring Company subsequently built the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop tunnel network.
Route
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Most of the route runs outside and set back from the perimeter of Hawthorne Municipal Airport, with a very short section under the corner of the airport fence, without going under the runway.[8]
The tunnel starts between the Dominguez Channel storm drain and Crenshaw Boulevard at an entrance pit constructed on parking lot land owned by SpaceX. A short straight section heading northwards is followed by a 530-foot-radius (161.5 m) curve westwards under West 120th Street, then a long straight tunnel, a slight curve and a final short straight to the Exit Shaft. The midpoint of the tunnel was planned to connect with a very short northwards spur to a small car parking system-style car elevator leading up inside a residential garage behind a house at 3834 West 119th Place.[9]
Timeline
On December 17, 2016, Elon Musk, the founder of the Boring Company, stated that he was frustrated with traffic jams, and would start building a tunnel.[10] By April 2017, The Boring Company had obtained a second-hand tunnel boring machine, transported the machine to Hawthorne, and had it repainted in Boring Company colors.[11]
On January 31, 2018, The Boring Company acquired the land around a family house at 3834 West 119th Place for $500,000.[12] On May 9, 2018, The Boring Company acquired land on the corner of West 120th and Prairie Avenue for $2 million, purchasing the corner plots 309 and 308 at 12007 Prairie Avenue[13] And Plots 304‒307 behind.[14]
On October 5, 2018, the Hawthorne City Council granted an easement for up to 2,600 meters (8,600 ft) of tunnel, in exchange for a structural encroachment fee of $2.5 million. Permission for the first 210 meters (700 ft) of tunnel under SpaceX's own land had been obtained earlier.[15]
On October 17, 2018, in preparation for opening "The Brick Store", the company applied for permission to paint the building at 12003 Prairie Avenue in The Boring Company black-and-white corporate colors.[16]
An opening ceremony for the test tunnel was originally scheduled for December 10, 2018,[17] then moved to December 18, 2018.[18]
During the launch day on December 18, 2018, cars operated using guided busway-style side-facing guide wheels. This fleet of Tesla Model X vehicles traveled at up to 40 miles per hour (65 km/h).[19]
