Las Vegas, Mar 16 (IANS): Elon Musk's plan to build underground express-route tunnels in Las Vegas has got its first approval as the board of directors of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has voted in favour of Musk's The Boring Company for a new people-mover project.

The 14-member board approved a recommendation to select The Boring Company to design, construct and operate a people-mover for the Las Vegas Convention Centre via a loop of underground express-route tunnels, which would carry passengers in autonomous electric vehicles at high speeds, according to a release of LVCVA, the Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The innovative project has the potential to connect Las Vegas downtown, the city's Convention Centre, the Las Vegas Boulevard Resort Corridor, the McCarran International Airport and beyond, said the release.

"Las Vegas is a high-energy, high-technology destination equipped to welcome the world, and we are excited to deliver a system that will help visitors efficiently navigate the city's many offerings," said Steve Davis, President, The Boring Company.

The Boring Company and the LVCVA will determine specific design, construction and operational plans and negotiate a contract for the final approval by the LVCVA board in a subsequent meeting scheduled for June 2019.

The loop will be designed with a potential capacity of up to 11,000 passengers per hour. The estimated system cost is between $35 million and $55 million depending on the route, the number of stations and the size of the stations, according to the release.