UNDERGROUND TUNNELS MIGHT JUST BE THE WAY TO DIG THE COUNTRY OUT OF ITS TRANSPORT CRISIS

For the most part, I would say the UK’s construction industry has got it right. The country has a suite of elite buildings, the standards to which these projects are highly acclaimed and we are committed to demonstrating sustainable development. Yet, despite pushing the boundaries of design, the country is significantly missing a revolutionary way to improve its #infrastructure system. Only recently, we blogged about getting the #northernpowerhouse back on the road and it’s an issue that urgently needs tackling.

Our first effort to alleviate congestion on our road networks was the implementation of the London Orbital Motorway or M25. As the second longest road in Europe stretching 117 miles, the concept for the motorway was first explored decades before plans were put in motion, but objections from residents meant that many proposals were abandoned and planners were sent back to the drawing board.

Since its completion in 1986, the M25 is now one of the busiest #Britishmotorway networks and its nickname “the world’s biggest car park” accurately suggests that it is simply not servicing the demands of our road users effectively.

[caption id="attachment_2135" align="alignleft" width="285"] Elon Musk[/caption]

Forget ‘Power in Numbers’, it took only one man to make a change after he took to social media to publicly complain about the unbearable traffic in Los Angeles. In a recent article on #BIMPlus, we’ve found the Tesla and SpaceX CEO #ElonMusk is no stranger to innovation, but his proactive approach stunned thousands when his declaration to “build a boring machine and just start digging…” in December 2016 was honoured just a month later. Just as he said he would, Musk founded The Boring Company https://www.boringcompany.com/ and in early 2017 set about digging the first segment of his tunnel that would host a series of underground roadways powered by electric tracks - essentially a high-speed subway for cars.

With progress significantly underway, Musk’s ingenuity only demonstrates that innovation doesn’t need complex business models. It requires a person to identify a heavy burden on the community and be bold enough to develop their vision.

As we strive for #economicgrowth and insist on greater connectivity between and within our cities, what our country needs is strong leaders, like Musk, to drive forward revolutionary concepts and challenge our perceptions of what can be achieved. The future of urban transportation is heavily governed by complex procurement processes surrounded by red tape, but by loosening the reigns we could have the flexibility to boost productivity and collaborate with those who can help us embrace ambitious new ways of working.