Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi has confirmed that Elon Musk’s The Boring Company remains interested in building a pedestrian tunnel beneath the Panama Canal. The company sent a formal communication to the mayor’s office this week, expressing a desire to advance studies for the project despite its recent competition loss. This direct outreach places Panama in a unique position for potential infrastructure collaboration.
The proposal, named “The Canal Underline,” was one of 487 submissions to the firm’s international Tunnel Vision Challenge. It reached the final 16 but did not win the top prize. The Boring Company’s latest note suggests the project’s technical ambition and location have generated standalone interest beyond the contest’s framework. Officials view the contact as a significant validation of Panama’s innovative urban planning profile on a global stage.
An “Extraordinary” Path Forward
Mayor Mizrachi shared details of the communication during a public briefing. He emphasized that Panama City is the only municipality or country to receive this type of extraordinary post-competition follow-up from the tunneling firm. The company has offered to sponsor deeper pre-feasibility studies for the pedestrian passageway, a move that could accelerate early planning phases without direct municipal cost.
“Regardless of the competition where we were not among the winners, they remain interested in that project and want to delve into pre-feasibility studies sponsored by The Boring Company, outside of the competition because they consider it a spectacular project,” Mayor Mizrachi stated. [Translated from Spanish]
The mayor characterized the development as encouraging news. It keeps Panama on the radar of one of the world’s most prominent technology and infrastructure companies. The project’s inherent complexities, stemming from its location under a major maritime waterway, appear to be a key driver of the sustained interest.
“What this expresses is that the proposal has complexities that make it innovative and interesting,” Mizrachi highlighted. [Translated from Spanish]
Next Steps for the Canal Underline
City administrators are now evaluating the logistical and procedural steps required to engage with The Boring Company’s proposal. Accepting the offer for sponsored studies would involve technical coordination and defining the scope of the new analysis. The project aims to create a safe, weather-protected crossing for pedestrians and potentially micromobility users, connecting areas separated by the canal’s path through the city.
This concept aligns with broader regional discussions about sustainable urban mobility. Some communities in Panama are already exploring car-lite lifestyles, a trend a future boring company project could complement. The mayor framed the entire experience as a privilege that demonstrates proactive municipal engagement can capture international attention.
“It is a privilege because we have demonstrated that the initiative is interesting, that we have approached them, and they saw that important things can be done,” the capital city mayor concluded. [Translated from Spanish]
No formal timeline for the proposed studies has been established. The mayor’s office indicated it will provide further updates as discussions with The Boring Company progress. The initiative represents a potential fusion of Panama’s iconic canal infrastructure with cutting-edge tunneling technology for urban connectivity.