TikTok's 'Tunnel girl' gives long-awaited updated after being shut down

A woman who went viral as "tunnel girl" for digging an underground tunnel beneath her home has given an update after the project was paused over permit issues.

Kala's (@engineer.everything) elaborate excavation project involves digging an underground tunnel system leading to a storm shelter at her home in Virginia which she had been posting videos about on the platform.

The initial plan back in August 2022 was to build a "storm shelter at the side of my basement," and has cost her $50,000 (as of November 2023) NBC reported.

Although she has no formal qualifications in engineering, Kala has been documenting the process of creating the "underground tunnel system."

But this came to a standstill when the City council shut down her building work back in December.

"So they did give me a stop work order and are requiring an immediate evaluation by a professional engineer," Kala explained in a video at the time.

"Fortunately, contrary to a few rumours here, it is constructed entirely below the slab of my house and it shouldn't be too hard to get the permits and approval."

Since then Kala has provided an update on what's going on and while the permitting process is anticipated to take another month, the good news for the TikTok tunnel digger is that the tunnel itself has been approved and deemed to be safe.

“The report concluded that the structure of the tunnel is sufficient enough to support the rock, and the rock itself is stable and shows no sign of shifting. The work was accepted," she told Fox 5 on February 12.

In a recent video, Kala explained why the engineering assessment was necessary for her project to continue.

“The engineering assessment is particularly important, because I wasn’t supposed to occupy the basement until it’s determined to be safe," she noted.

“The report concluded that the structure of the tunnel is sufficient enough to support the rock, and the rock itself is stable and shows no sign of shifting. The work was accepted.”

Kala also gave details about the permit process where she has worked with an architect to submit a set of drawings for this application.

“I’m still working to respond to comments and to provide information for the city for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, structural, and geotechnical aspects of the project,” she said.

“At this time, I requested an extension, and I am expecting the process to continue for at least a month more, and I’m optimistic.”

So if all goes to plan, fans will be excited for the tunnel content to continue.

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