Elon Musk says his first tunnel to open Dec. 10

HAWTHORNE (FOX 11 / CNS) - Elon Musk says the first tunnel of a proposed underground transportation network across Los Angeles County will open Dec. 10.

"The first tunnel is almost done,'' Musk wrote to his 23.1 million Twitter followers shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday.

A video simulation released by the company last year shows a driver steering onto a car-sized platform on the street, parallel to the curb. The platform, called a skate, sinks like an elevator, then carries the car through the tunnel.

In subsequent tweets Musk said there would be an opening event on the night of the 10th and free rides for the public the next day.

When asked if the Dec. 10 date represented real time or "Elon time,'' the entrepreneur wrote, "I think real.''

In April, the Los Angeles City Council's public works committee unanimously approved an environmental review exemption for a Boring Co. tunnel that could run 2.7 miles through West Los Angeles. The proposed route would be parallel to Sepulveda Boulevard, starting at Pico Boulevard and running down to Washington Boulevard in Culver City.