Hyperloop Feasibility Study Announced For Missouri Route

ST. LOUIS, MO — How would you like to travel across the state in less than half an hour? The Missouri Hyperloop Coalition, a public-private partnership, is hoping to make that a reality. The group announced this week an in-depth study to determine the feasibility of building an ultra-high-speed transit system running between St. Louis and Kansas City along the Interstate 70 corridor. Black and Veatch, a Kansas City-based engineering and construction firm, will conduct the study in partnership with Virgin Hyperloop One and the University of Missouri.

The study will analyze the challenges of such a project as well as the potential economic benefits. Proponents say a next-generation transportation project like a Hyperloop would create an innovation corridor across the state, making statewide collaborations easier and easing passenger and freight congestion. The group hopes to determine the next steps for the project over six to nine months, developing cost estimates and funding recommendations to move the initiative forward.

A Hyperloop is a proposed transportation system developed by Tesla and SpaceX, both companies founded by investor and inventor Elon Musk. A sealed vacuum tube allows transportation pods, suspended in magnetic fields, to travel at speeds up to 800 miles-per-hour, free of friction or air resistance. Musk has compared the system to a cross between the Concorde and an air hockey table.

"It's exciting to see this project moving forward," Rob Dixon, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development said. "With innovations like Hyperloop, we're demonstrating that Missouri isn't afraid to take on bold new ideas that make our state a better place to live and do business."

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