Hyperloop feasibility study confirmed for Kansas City

Black Veatch in partnership with Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) and the University of Missouri System will conduct a feasibility study of an ultra-high-speed hyperloop route along I-70 in the state on behalf of The Missouri Hyperloop Coalition. The proposed route would connect a combined five million residents in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis with a journey time under 30-minutes. The study will analyse the technical alignment as well as the potential economic impact and benefits of integrating hyperloop
February 2, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Black Veatch in partnership with Virgin 8535 Hyperloop One (VHO) and the University of Missouri System will conduct a feasibility study of an ultra-high-speed hyperloop route along I-70 in the state on behalf of The Missouri Hyperloop Coalition. The proposed route would connect a combined five million residents in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis with a journey time under 30-minutes.

The study will analyse the technical alignment as well as the potential economic impact and benefits of integrating hyperloop into the I-70 corridor. It will also outline the next steps required for a hyperloop project, which include creating a cost estimate funding model with the intention of enabling it to move forward.

Missouri proposed the route to VHO two years ago as part the Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT’s) Road to Tomorrow project which aims to promote innovation along the corridor.

Michael DeMers, director of innovative partnerships and alternative funding at the MoDoT, said: "MoDOT is committed to delivering transportation solutions of lasting value and moving passengers and freight across Missouri safely and reliably. The State of Missouri will be a beneficiary of the feasibility study, and we look forward to contributing data and information to the study. We are especially pleased that the private sector is taking the helm and MoDOT will be able to participate without using Missouri taxpayer dollars.

Rob Lloyd, CEO of VHO, said: “By embracing innovations like hyperloop, Missouri can enhance its competitiveness and dramatically alter the way people and goods move. A hyperloop connection between the state's two thriving cities can help provide millions of residents with greater access to jobs and opportunities -- giving Missouri an undeniable edge in attracting new business and talent."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Financing the US road infrastructure – road user charging?
    February 2, 2012
    In the US, the National Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission's report to Congress will state that a national, distance-based charging is the only long-term solution to the country's infrastructure financing problems. The Commission's Chair, Rob Atkinson, talks to ITS International
    Read More
  • Travel restrictions cause ITS professionals' knowledge gap
    February 2, 2012
    Andrew Barriball once again campaigns for senior USDOT officials to see sense and lift some of the restrictions on out-of-state travel for transportation professionals. The ability to attend conferences and exhibitions is not a luxury, he says; it is a valid and cost-effective way of advancing the state of the traffic management art
    Read More
  • Solving Detroit’s jams: just ask a Michigan student
    October 17, 2019
    At the Institute of Transportation Engineers annual meeting, a clever student plan to reduce commute times in Detroit suggests the future of the ITS industry is in good hands, write Pete Spiller and Jarrod Cady A team of students from the University of Michigan won a national student Transportation Technology Tournament - sponsored by the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and the US Department of Transportation - with a compelling presentation on reducing congestion. In an impressive d
    Read More
  • Include ITS in policy decisions from the start, not as an afterthought
    February 1, 2012
    DG TREN's Fotis Karamitsos, on why the European Commission's new ITS Action Plan is looking to the past for future direction. The European Commission's (EC's) new Action Plan for the Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in Europe, which was announced as 2008 drew to a close, intends that transport and travel become 'cleaner; more efficient, including energy efficient; and safer and more secure'. At first sight, that wording might be interpreted as marking a significant policy shift within Europe, wit
    Read More

Highlighted Content