Latest news with #tunneling
The Sun
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge £500million underground tunnels set to connect four UK islands & ‘reverse decades of depopulation'
PLANS for a £500million underground tunnel service connecting four UK Islands have been taken to the next level. This comes after Shetland councillors agreed to take forward proposals for the construction of tunnels between islands in a move described as 'a significant step.' 6 6 6 According to The National, a report on the future of Shetland's inter-island transport was presented to councillors for the first time on Wednesday. The report recommended enhanced ferry services for Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour and Skerries, together with the case for tunnels to Bressay, Unst, Whalsay and Yell. In the wake of the report, councillors have now agreed to fund a study to establish the commercial and financial viability of a tunnel system. Future steps to move the project forward were also discussed. The options presented in the report don't come with any cost estimates, with the council emphasising the funding is uncertain. Earlier this year, The Scotsman reported that the tunnels are expected to cost more than £500million Council Leader Emma Macdonald told The National: "Tunnelling in Shetland is, ultimately, about future-proofing our island population. 'Transport connectivity is central to creating sustainable islands which provide good homes and good jobs for our people, and which reverse decades of depopulation.' She added: 'The experience of our neighbours in the Faroe Islands is clear - tunnelling from mainland Shetland to our outer islands could increase their population, lower their average age, and increase their economic prospects.' Such tunnels are common in the Faroe Islands and Norway. Ms Macdonald also insisted that they must continue to invest in a reliable ferry service as well. Councillors hope these plans will put a halt to depopulation In reference to Wednesday's meeting Ms Macdonald said: 'This represents a significant step towards the construction of tunnels between our islands.' One of the world's deepest bars to open in London Isles MP Alistair Carmichael expressed his excitement for this project, saying it is now time to deliver on this long-anticipated promise. The MP described the tunnels as having the potential to be transformative for Shetland's economy. Mr Carmichael added: 'It has been a long road just to reach this point and there is still a long way to go but I am glad that progress is being made.' He concluded that he is excited to keep up the momentum as he anticipates further talks with UK and Scottish governments. The report was published by a team of consultants appointed by Shetland Islands Council. A team of engineering consultancies COWI, Stantec and Mott Macdonald have been collaborating on the study, and exploring how transport links between islands could be improved over the next 30 years. The National also reported that Wednesday saw the discontinuation of any possibility of a Feltar tunnel for the time being. 6 6 6
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Implenia enters contract to build underground repository in Sweden
Construction and real estate service provider Implenia has entered an 'early contractor involvement' contract with SKB to construct the first underground section of a deep repository for radioactive waste in Sweden. Located near the Forsmark nuclear power plant in Eastern Sweden, the project encompasses the planning, design, and construction of various underground structures. It includes the development of an access tunnel to the first storage level, three vertical shafts for ventilation and an elevator, a central area, and main and transport tunnels. These structures will be situated at depths of up to 500m. The initial planning phase is slated to begin in late 2025, with subsequent design and construction phases leading to project completion by 2033. Implenia states that the contract's value extends into several hundred million Swiss francs. Implenia civil engineering division head Erwin Scherer said: "We are very proud to have been awarded this important contract and would like to thank SKB for the trust they have placed in us. The project requires a great deal of geological and technical tunnelling expertise and precision.' 'Winning this contract is testimony to our many years of expertise in the planning and execution of large, multidisciplinary infrastructure projects, including our specialisation in tunnel and energy infrastructure." SKB CEO Stefan Engdahl said: "Building the deep repository is an important step in our mission to safely dispose of radioactive waste. We are pleased to have signed a collaboration agreement with Implenia, as Implenia possesses solid expertise and experience in rock excavation and infrastructure projects." This new contract follows Implenia's recent €200m ($226.9m) agreement for a section of the Nordmainische S-Bahn in Frankfurt, Germany, awarded by Deutsche Bahn division DB InfraGO. "Implenia enters contract to build underground repository in Sweden" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Grade II-listed Georgian house with quirky feature goes on the market for £475,000 - would you buy it?
A Grade II-listed Georgian property has gone on the market - but potential buyer might be left puzzled by one quirky feature. The four-bedroom property was originally built or a surgeon during the 19th Century before it was divided into two separate homes in 1911. But one ode mode feature that connect the historical home with the wider town of Axminster, Devon, remains somewhat in tact. To the surprise of any possible future home owners there is remnants of an old tunnelling system, is accessible via a brick-built passageway leading out of the home. The tunnel is believed to have been part of a bigger underground network in the town, however former underpasses have long since been closed off. But a secretive tunnel isn't the only niche feature boasted by the four-floor property, nestled on Market Square. Described as a 'Tower house', the property features a kitchen with modern wall lighting and granite work surfacing as well as a selection of free-standing dressers. Exposed floorboards continue through to the main reception room where there is an attractive fireplace and wood burning stove. The inner hallway, which forms part of the staircase extension, has stone steps which continue down to the basement and double doors leading out to the garden. The basement area has also been remodelled with tiled flooring and provides an overflow for white goods, cloakroom and storage. Both the second and first floor boast good sized bedrooms as well as a bathroom and a shower room. And to the rear of Tower House is a westerly facing garden which has been recently landscaped. The garden enjoys a wide variety of shrubs and perennials with a seating area that looks out over Axminster and the surrounding countryside. The southern side boundary features a lovely mellow stone wall, garden store and at the end of the garden steps lead down to a gated rear access and the tunnel. The Grade II listed Georgian property is currently on sale with Symonds & Sampson at a guide price of £475,000. It comes as another property in Levenshulme, Manchester boasted a unique yet nostalgic feature inside its four walls. And at £240,000 the property situated at the end of a row of terraced houses is a well-priced prospect for potential buyers. However the only bathroom in the home does feature some unusual decor which may leave some to look elsewhere. The bathroom floor is decorated with a children's road map, similar to those seen on rugs usually aimed at those aged three and older. The home was posted on TikTok by @HousingHorrors who noticed the peculiar design in the otherwise unassuming house. He said: 'This house has the most bizarre bathroom carpet I have ever seen. 'It is so weird because you go through the property and everything looks pretty standard. Walls are painted white, grey carpet. 'But wait until you see this bathroom because everything is so boring and beige and then bang they have got this massive kind of roundabout roadworks carpet. This is so nostalgic. 'I am pretty sure they used to have these carpets in primary school but why would you want it in your bathroom. 'I mean fair play to them it is a little bit cool, a little bit quirky. I have never seen anything quite like it but it just feels a little bit out of place. 'But do you know what it is probably the most interesting room in the house because every other room in this house is very beige very boring. I would love to know the reasoning behind them having this. After originally believing the flooring was carpet, The social media personality eventually worked out the flooring was Vinyl. Referring to the popular children's play mats, he added: 'I remember these used to be carpeted.'
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Musk's Tunnel Company Being Considered For $8.5 Billion Amtrak Project
A Tesla drives through a tunnel built by The Boring Co. Last week, Elon Musk's The Boring Company (TBC) announced that it has been continuously mining in a Zero-People-in-Tunnel (ZPIT) configuration, which in Musk speak, means that his tunneling company has been continually digging a tunnel to cater to its futuristic Tesla robotaxi underground transport system. And thanks to Musk's ties, or dare we say, favors that he's earned with certain government agencies through his DOGE activities and others, his The Boring Company is now being considered for a major multi-billion-dollar Amtrak project. According to the New York Times, federal regulators are in talks with his tunneling company to see whether TBC could save money on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel program which is being built to connect Baltimore to Washington and Virginia. Estimates for the project started at $6 billion but have ballooned out to $8.5 billion with rising material costs. A While The Boring Company is one of a number of corporations to being considered for this new Amtrak contract, the discussions raise an alarming number of red flags about Musk's multiple conflicts of interest as he splits his time between Tesla, TBC, SpaceX/Starlink and X, his role as President Trump's right-hand man, and as master overseer of DOGE, which has cut resources to agencies that are supposed to regulate his companies. The Boring Company shared videos of its ZPIT configuration and explained why this is a huge milestone. The Boring Company (TBC) says its mission is to create, safe, fast-to-dig, low cost transportation (tunnels) with its main purpose to alleviate traffic congestion and enable rapid point-to-point mobility. Musk says that to solve traffic issues, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels are needed. 'Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight, and don't conflict with existing transport networks,' he added. His philosophy is to be commended, but the reality appears to be different. Please read on. Just to put things into perspective with what we know now, the level of the project that appears to have impressed Amtrak officials is Musk's so-called 'Loop' in Las Vegas. This Loop has in fact, already been realized—to a limited extent—with the first all-electric, zero emissions tunnel system located at the Las Vegas Convention Center—making it the first commercially operating Loop system that will eventually, according to TBC, be able to travel at speeds of up to 150 mph. The Las Vegas tunnel may only be 1.7 miles long at present, but even that achievement has been enough to grab the attention of Amtrak. But to play the devil's advocate, we have been hearing about The Boring Co.'s tunnels for over seven years now, and development has been painfully slow. Many readers may recall news of Musk's first tunnel foray when he invited journalists back in 2018 to test-ride his one mile-plus long tunnel section—the so-called L.A. transit tunnel—from which many media came away unimpressed due to the rough ride. Musk later explained that the tunnel was a prototype and that the surface would eventually be smoothed to resemble cruising on glass. Stay tuned, as things could develop rather quickly if Amtrak gives a green light.
Gizmodo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Elon's Boring Company Is ‘Helping' the Government With an $8 Billion Amtrak Tunnel Project
Musk has his finger in yet another pie. Elon Musk's tunneling firm, the Boring Company, has agreed to 'help' the government's Federal Railroad Administration with a multi-billion dollar project to build a train tunnel in Maryland. While it's not yet clear that Musk's company will actually get a contract related to the project, it seems like yet another conflict-of-interest for the billionaire, who has exerted undue influence over the government ever since Donald Trump took office. The New York Times reports that Musk's company is helping the government assess 'the costs and progress' of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel program, a new underground Amtrak route that has been designed to replace an aging tunnel system that connects Baltimore to Washington and Virginia. Department of Transportation officials recently met with representatives from the Boring Company to discuss the project and were told that Musk's firm could 'find ways to build the tunnel more cheaply and efficiently,' the newspaper writes. The project has been in development for what seems like forever. The FRA and the MDOT initially announced a notice of intent for the project in 2014, over ten years ago. Since then, the projected price of the tunnel has also ballooned, tracking upwards from the original estimate of $6 billion to a more recent price tag of just over $8 billion, the Times writes. Last year, Amtrak picked two construction companies—Kiewit and J.F. Shea—to build the tunnel. A Transportation Department representative told the newspaper that no 'decision has been made on bids' yet and that 'Amtrak in coordination with D.O.T. will follow standard procedures for bidding out contracting and subcontracting.' Gizmodo reached out to the Department and to the Boring Company for more information. The Boring Company was founded in 2016 and allegedly sprang from Musk's desire to create a transportation solution that could allow drivers to avoid traffic jams. The firm has announced many projects over the years, many of which have failed to come to fruition. Currently, the company is working on a new tunnel system under Las Vegas, which it calls the 'Vegas Loop.' A recent ProPublica investigation showed that the Vegas venture, which is being privately funded by Musk, is proceeding without much of the regulatory oversight that a project of such a size and scope would traditionally have. The company also recently announced plans to develop a 10-mile tunnel in Dubai. Musk's prominence in the Trump administration is well-known and, everywhere you look, the billionaire appears to be benefiting from his government ties. A recent report from the Washington Post showed that the White House has been bullying tariffed countries to adopt services from the billionaire's satellite internet company, Starlink. Starlink has seen other nebulous and problematic pacts with the U.S. government, including at the Federal Aviation Administration and in the White House. SpaceX also seems to have a variety of potential conflicts of interest, thanks to DOGE's interactions with NASA. Another recent report also shows that the billionaire's companies may have saved nearly $2.37 billion from federal fines and penalties that were active under Biden but have since been 'neutralized' in the Trump era. As Musk has profited off his work in government, he has also sought to undermine many of the social services that are designed to benefit everyday Americans. His so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken aim at many agencies that protect consumers, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which would have potentially overseen Musk's platform, X, had the agency not been gutted by DOGE. Critics also maintain that DOGE is working to wreck the Social Security Administration, which is the bedrock of the national retirement system. At the same time, Musk's work with the government has also spurred problems for his businesses, including a nationwide political movement—the #TeslaTakedown protests—that have sought to target Musk through his car company Tesla. The EV company has suffered egregiously since Musk began helping the Trump administration. A recent earnings report showed the company's profits were down 71 percent in the first three months of this year.
