By Brittany Anderson
KYLE — Kyle residents finally have an update to the underground pedestrian tunnel planned months ago: it isn’t going to be built.
Kyle Communications Director Rachel Sonnier said that the project proved to “not be viable” after Union Pacific Railroad (UPR) did not approve it to be built under its tracks — a decision made back in August.
The tunnel was set to be constructed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) and link into Kyle’s Vybe trail project, an 80-mile citywide trail network connecting neighborhoods to commercial spaces as a vehicleless transportation option.
The tunnel was discussed in Kyle City Council meetings earlier this year. In a 6-1 vote on May 3, council members approved a $50,000 professional services agreement with TBC to construct the tunnel under the UPR tracks located southwest of Kyle Marketplace and FM 1626. Yvonne Flores-Cale cast the dissenting vote.
At the meeting, former city manager Scott Sellers told council that $3 million of funding for the project — including the cost of the professional services agreement — was to come from developer CSW Development, as outlined in the development agreement, and that no taxpayer dollars were anticipated to be expended on the project. CSW is developing Kyle Crossing Phase II, the area where the tunnel was planned.
The city was set to have to pay only if the project exceeded $3 million — a point at which council could decide to add more funds or scrap the project altogether.
During initial discussions with the city, UPR had already expressed concerns with the tunnel and how it might affect its tracks.
According to Sellers, geotechnical engineering was to be performed as part of the professional services agreement in order to satisfy UPR. Allen Ross, president of engineering services provider Schaumburg & Polk Inc., also told council during a May 17 meeting that the city was to prepare engineering drawings for UPR’s approval before any construction or infrastructure.
However, UPR made a decision and plans for the tunnel have been halted. Sonnier said that the project cannot proceed without UPR’s approval and as such, the city is “no longer pursuing it as an option.”
Prior to the tunnel, both a bridge and pedestrian overpass were considered before the requests were nixed due to various safety concerns, but Sonnier said that a pedestrian overpass is on the drawing board again. The development agreement outlines that in the event the tunnel is not feasible, the city and CSW will enter into an “alternate improvements” agreement, still part of the $3 million funding.
