Tunnel

Stormwater culverts can be dangerous places, due to hazards such as crumbling concrete ceilings and toxic gas accumulations. The PIPE-i robot was designed with that fact in mind, as it takes the place of a human when inspecting such structures.

This past weekend China opened the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a new cross-sea tunnel and bridge system located in Guangdong Province, South China. The architectural marvel apparently breaks 10 world records – albeit very specific ones.

An ambitious underwater road and rail tunnel is currently under construction in Europe. Named the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, it will cross an 11.2-mile stretch of the Baltic Sea, linking Germany and Denmark.

Hidden 40 m below London's streets lies a fascinating network of tunnels. Originally conceived as a bomb shelter during WWII, they also hosted a high-tech telecommunications system, and even a spy HQ. Now there's a plan to open them up to the public.

Traffic is among the biggest sources of air pollution, but what if the very roads they drive on could help clear the air? Engineers in Korea have now demonstrated that photocatalytic concrete can help reduce pollution in tunnels.

Bay Area startup Earthgrid says it's developing a plasma boring robot that can dig underground tunnels 100x faster and up to 98% cheaper than existing tech, and it plans to use it to start re-wiring America's energy, internet and utilities grids.

A lot less technologically optimistic than the Hyperloop-TT Hyperport project, Cargo Sous Terrain looks considerably more likely to happen, with its first 10-stop, 70-km (43-mile) series of underground tunnels scheduled to begin taking cargo in 2031.

San Francisco startup Petra says its new contactless thermal drilling robot can make steady progress through super-hard rock that would normally destroy drilling equipment – and it's absolutely mesmerizing to watch "Swifty" in action.

Having finally begun moving the first passengers through its Las Vegas tunnels back in June, The Boring Company has now received initial approval to expand the system across the city, a network that could amount to as many as 51 stations.

Robots are great explorers, but one environment that’s tricky for them to navigate is through the ground. Now, engineers at UCSB and Georgia Tech have developed a snake-like robot that uses a range of methods to burrow through soft sand or soil.

Around two years after having the project approved and one year after finishing construction of the tunnel, The Boring Company's transport Loop beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center has now started transporting passengers.

Norway's remarkably ambitious Stad Ship Tunnel has finally been given the thumbs up. Slated to begin construction next year, the tunnel will cut through an entire peninsula, allowing ships to bypass Norway's most hazardous shipping route.