Tech titan (and real-life Tony Stark) Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shown quite a lot of interest in tackling large scale challenges, particularly in Australia. He previously installed a 100-megawatt battery pack in the middle of the South Australian outback in order to address massive blackouts and energy issues that plagued the area. Now he sets his sights on another seemingly insurmountable problem that could save the day for people of New South Wales: relaxing road congestion.
He delivered.
Last week, NSW MP Jeremy Buckingham tweeted an idea of easing Sydney traffic by building a 50km tunnel through the Blue Mountains, and tagging Elon Musk and his other company that specialises in such undertakings, the Boring Company.
And like a comic book superhero that's always there at someone's cry for help, Musk replied that it would take about $15 million per kilometre for the two-way tunnel, with an additional $50 million per station, taking the project to an estimated $1 billion.
Two years ago, Elon Musk also initiated a similar solution to ease the often-clogged traffic of Los Angeles, California. Last month, he unveiled the first section of the underground tunnel from his headquarters in Hawthorne.
Mr Buckingham, who was once a councillor with Orange City Council, said the transport loop would be "the envy of the world" and benefit regional cities.
"You could live out in the beautiful western region of NSW, enjoy the lifestyle, clean air and national parks while commuting into jobs centres of Penrith and western Sydney," he said in a statement.
"The infrastructure plan takes the pressure off traffic congestion and resources in Sydney, while providing a lifeline for our regions."
If the project comes into fruition, commuters would access the tunnel by driving electric vehicles into the station before being transported via elevator into the tunnel.
A special vehicle would then transport them at high speeds between stations.