South Dallas Could Get An Elon Musk Underground Tunnel
South Dallas Might Be Getting an Elon Musk Underground Tunnel
- Proposed tunnel project could improve connectivity but also accelerate gentrification in South Dallas.
- Long-time residents worry about rising property taxes and rent pushing them out of their neighborhoods.
- Community-led plans aim to balance growth with preserving affordable housing and neighborhood character.
If you heard Dallas might be getting an underground tunnel, your first reaction might be, “Wait… that’s kind of fire.”
And yeah—on the surface, it is.
The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk, just named Dallas as one of three cities in the country—along with Baltimore and New Orleans—that could get a privately funded underground tunnel.
Out of nearly 500 proposals, Dallas made the cut. And not just anywhere—this one is being considered for South Dallas, potentially connecting University of North Texas at Dallas to a major upcoming mixed-use project known as University Hills.
So yeah, it sounds like the future. A tunnel about 30 feet underground, electric vehicles moving people quickly, designed to ease traffic above ground. If you’ve ever been stuck on I-35, you’re probably thinking, “Finally.”
But here’s where the conversation shifts.
Because this isn’t just about traffic.
South Dallas—especially around Fair Park—has already been changing fast. New homes are going up, property values are rising, and long-time residents are feeling the pressure. For many families, higher property taxes and rent increases aren’t just inconvenient—they’re pushing people out of neighborhoods they’ve called home for generations.
So when a project like this comes in—bringing new development, new attention, and new money—it doesn’t land the same for everyone.
Some see opportunity. Better infrastructure, more connectivity, and investment in an area that’s historically been overlooked.
Others see something different. A fast track to deeper gentrification, where the very people who built the community risk being priced out of it.
There are efforts to find balance. Community-led plans in South Dallas have been in the works for years, aiming to protect affordable housing and preserve the character of the neighborhood while still allowing growth. Some developers are even pushing for what they call “gentler” development—slower, more intentional change that centers the people already there.
But the reality is, big projects tend to move fast—and not always with everyone in mind.
And to be clear, nothing is set in stone yet. Dallas still has to go through a feasibility phase, and if the project doesn’t make sense, it won’t get built at all.
Still, the fact that South Dallas is even being considered puts a spotlight on something bigger than a tunnel.
It’s about who benefits when new ideas come into old neighborhoods. Because sure—an underground tunnel sounds like the future.
But for a lot of people in South Dallas, the question isn’t how fast we can move. It’s who gets to come along for the ride.
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