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BASTROP — Bastrop may find the solution to one of its biggest traffic headaches underneath its roads, with a little help from Elon Musk’s local ventures, according to city leaders.
Officials said the city is in early talks with Musk’s tunnel-drilling Boring Company, exploring plans to build a pedest rian channel beneath Texas 95. The project looks to ease congestion and improve road safety by linking downtown with Bastrop State Park and the Mayfest Hill rodeo grounds, according to City Manager Sylvia Carrillo- Trevino.
“For us, it’s an issue of safety,” Carrillo-Trevino said. “We have a beautiful state park. We have a beautiful rodeo arena. But you have to get past Highway 95 to get there, and Highway 95 is a very, very busy intersection that has a lot of accidents and traffic.”
The idea comes as Bastrop grapples with rapid population growth and
“We’re cautiously optimistic that it is going to add value and safety.”
— Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino, Bastrop city manager new development. Officials said the city is fighting to maintain its small-town character while roads, pedestrian safety and water and wastewater systems face increasing strain.
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“We know that people are moving here, whether we would like it or not,” Carrillo-Trevino said.
Union Pacific Railroad tracks already limit movement through parts of the city, and Texas 95 creates another barrier, according to the city manager, particularly for people heading to outdoor destinations.
Boring representatives said the company’s technology could allow for a tunnel to be constructed in a matter of weeks, if plans are approved.
“It’s amazingly fast. We are in the investigatory stage,” Carrillo-Trevion said, adding that the city recently hired a grant-writing firm to help secure funding.
A feasibility study is underway, with details such as cost-sharing and construction timelines still in discussion. Officials expect more clarity within six months.
Hurdles remain despite the city’s optimism, according to Carrillo-Trevino, including safety concerns and operational questions.
“We have to consider who’s manning the tunnel,” she said. “Will our unhoused population begin to make it home? Is it safe? What are the hours of operation? Who’s going to police it? All of those things are part of what we’re talking about.”
If approved and funded, the tunnel would mark one of Bastrop’s highest- profile infrastructure projects. Officials said it could showcase how smaller, fast-growing communities are turning to high-tech solutions for aging infrastructure.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that it is going to add value and safety,” Carrillo-Trevino said.
