Boring Company's Vegas Loop Transports 82,000 Passengers During CONEXPO, Downtown Expansion Approved
Summary
Elon Musk's Boring Company moved a record 82,000 passengers through its Vegas Loop tunnels during the CONEXPO trade show, while the city approved its first permit to extend the underground network into Downtown Las Vegas.
The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop demonstrated its capacity to handle major events at scale, transporting 82,000 passengers through its underground tunnel network during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 construction trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The figure represents the highest single-event ridership for the Loop since it opened in 2021, validating the point-to-point tunnel system’s ability to move large crowds efficiently without adding to surface street congestion. During the event, Tesla vehicles carried attendees between the convention center’s multiple halls and connecting resorts including Resorts World, Westgate, and Encore.
The milestone coincides with two significant expansion developments. In late January 2026, the city of Las Vegas issued its first permit to extend the Loop into Downtown Las Vegas, marking the first time the underground transit network will reach beyond the convention corridor and Strip area. The initial downtown segment will connect the Las Vegas Convention Center to The Strat Hotel, Casino & Tower via two connector tunnels.
Additionally, The Boring Company opened a new station at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort on the south end of the Strip. The station, located on level V-1 of the resort’s south valet area, provides direct underground access to the convention center and other Loop destinations — a feature the resort is marketing as a competitive advantage for convention attendees.
The company is also nearing completion of the University Center Loop, a 2.2-mile extension running beneath Paradise Road that will create a direct link between the convention district and Harry Reid International Airport. President Steve Davis has said the airport connection is targeted to open in the first half of 2026, with a planned station at 5032 Palo Verde Road just south of Terminal 1.
When the airport segment opens, the Loop’s capacity is expected to jump to between 17,000 and 20,000 passengers per hour. The full 68-mile buildout, which includes stops at Allegiant Stadium, UNLV, Chinatown, and dozens of Strip properties, is designed to eventually handle 90,000 passengers per hour.
Since opening in 2021, the Vegas Loop has carried more than 3.5 million passengers using a fleet of approximately 100 Tesla vehicles. The company plans to expand the fleet to 160 vehicles when the University Center Loop opens, with speeds increasing from 35 mph to 60 mph on the new segment.
Beyond Las Vegas, The Boring Company is preparing to begin tunneling in Nashville, Tennessee for a 10-mile Music City Loop connecting the airport to downtown, and has signed a memorandum of understanding for a Dubai Loop pilot project.