Encore-Resorts World extension sought for people-mover project

As construction on The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Center underground people-mover project continues, eyes are already set on digging farther to the resort corridor.

Elon Musk’s untested transportation model is being eyed to extend from the convention center to serve Wynn Resorts’ Encore property and Resorts World on the north end of the Strip.

Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom announced the planned extension in a tweet Tuesday. “Elon Musk is officially asking to add Tesla tunnels from convention center to Wynn and Resort World,” Segerblom’s post read.

Elon Musk is officially asking to add Tesla tunnels from convention center to Wynn and Resort World pic.twitter.com/su7UFlNAMG

— Tick Segerblom (@tsegerblom) June 2, 2020

Wynn spokeswoman Deanna Pettit-Irestone confirmed that the resort property is in talks with The Boring Company about the potential tunnel project and it will be discussed at next week’s Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority meeting.

“We can confirm that the land use file has been made, details are forthcoming at the LVCVA’s Board meeting on Tuesday at 9 a.m.” Pettit-Irestone said in an email.

Representatives from Resorts World weren’t immediately available for comment.

The route shared by Segerblom on social media shows the potential Encore tunnel alignment running from near the parking lot in front of the Central Hall of the convention center, across the Desert Inn and Paradise roads intersection, underneath a portion of Wynn’s golf course, and ending up on the north side of Encore, just east of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Although not shown in the graphic, a second station and tunnel extension would be added to Resorts World, said Nancy Amundsen, Clark County director of comprehensive planning.

Crews reached a milestone last month when the digging of the second of two tunnels for the convention center project was completed. The loop system will shuttle conventiongoers around the existing halls and the expansion halls slated to be finished this year.

Passengers will be transported via all-electric vehicles on Tesla auto chassis in self-driving mode. Maximum capacity for the vehicles will be 16 people. It will take less than two minutes to move passengers from one end of the convention center to another.

At launch, 62 vehicles will be in use at the convention center.

When the convention center project was unveiled, The Boring Company said it ultimately planned to build out the tunnel system through the resort corridor with stops at Allegiant Stadium and McCarran International Airport.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.