Elon Musk's latest idea: Tunneling beneath New Orleans

The big picture: The Boring Co. selected New Orleans, Baltimore and Dallas as the winners of its Tunnel Vision Challenge on Tuesday, the company posted on X.

• Musk's company says it will pay to build a mile-long tunnel in each city. The specific goals for New Orleans weren't released.
• This isn't the first time Musk has been interested in tunnels in Louisiana. In 2022, he floated the idea of a transit tunnel to help with hurricane evacuations.
• "Underground tunnels are immune to surface weather conditions (subways are a good example), so it wouldn't matter to Hyperloop if a hurricane was raging on the surface," the tech billionaire posted on X at the time. "You wouldn't even notice."

The intrigue: There's no word about who applied for the contest on New Orleans' behalf and where the tunnel would go.

• Musk didn't release a timeline either.

What she's saying: "We are in the early stages of exploring this project," Mayor Helena Moreno said in a statement.

• "Whether it is feasible or not, we've opened the door for conversations that could lead to opportunities, even if it's not this one."

What's next: The Boring Co. says it will meet with local leaders and perform geotechnical borings to determine whether the project is feasible.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Mayor Helena Moreno.