TikTok’s Tunnel Girl is digging again—much to the internet’s delight

More than a year after her viral project was shut down, TikTok’s “Tunnel Girl” has officially been given the green light to resume digging a massive tunnel beneath her home.

On her TikTok account @engineer.everything, the woman—who identifies herself only as Kala—has built a following of over 657,000 by documenting her ambitious, off-the-books tunnel project in Herndon, Virginia. Despite the handle, Kala has no formal engineering background; she began digging in 2022 as a hobby.

While many viewers were fascinated by her underground progress, others questioned the legality of the endeavor. “Are we… are we allowed to build tunnels?” one commenter asked under Kala’s one-year anniversary recap video. The answer, as Kala eventually discovered, is no—not without proper permits. After nearly two years of work, her project was shut down in January 2024.

“They did give me a stop work order and are requiring an immediate evaluation by a professional engineer. Fortunately, contrary to rumors here, it is constructed entirely below the slab of my house and it shouldn’t be too hard to get the permits and approval,” she explained in a TikTok video posted shortly after.

Turns out, she was right. The permits have now been approved, and the tunnel is officially back in progress. A video posted last week shows Kala receiving a phone call and unrolling stamped construction plans. “You have permits now, so clearly you did a good job!” one commenter wrote. Another added: “Digging is one thing, but navigating a complex permitting process after the work has been done is nearly miraculous.”

If you’re inspired to dig your own tunnel, don’t expect the process to be easy. “I’ve had to go and get a lot of engineering certifications, a lot of tests, and provide a lot of documentation and provide a lot of calculations and information for the permit process,” Kala told the news station WUSA9.

The tunnel system currently extends 22 feet below ground with a 30-foot entrance below her house on her property. Where does it lead? Nowhere—yet. “The permits that I submitted for only goes about where I wrapped up right now,” Kala told WUSA9. “My permits have a note that [the tunnel] may be expanded in the future, of course, I’ll have to go through the engineering process, the permit process, but I would like to potentially go a little bit further.”

Kala hopes to finish the tunnel within the next six months. The end goal? A self-contained underground shelter just outside the footprint of her home—because, well, why not?

https://www.fastcompany.com/91299852/tiktoks-tunnel-girl-is-digging-again-much-to-the-internets-delight?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Établi 4mo | 17 mars 2025, 19:40:08


Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire

Autres messages de ce groupe

GameStop’s Nintendo Switch 2 stapler sells for more than $100,000 on eBay after viral mishap

From being the face of memestock mania to going viral for inadvertently stapling the screens of brand-new video game consoles, GameStop is no stranger to infamy.

Last month, during the m

11 juil. 2025, 12:50:04 | Fast company - tech
Don’t take the race for ‘superintelligence’ too seriously

The technology industry has always adored its improbably audacious goals and their associated buzzwords. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is among the most enamored. After all, the name “Meta” is the resi

11 juil. 2025, 12:50:02 | Fast company - tech
Why AI-powered hiring may create legal headaches

Even as AI becomes a common workplace tool, its use in

11 juil. 2025, 12:50:02 | Fast company - tech
Gen Zers are posting their unemployment era on TikTok—and it’s way too real

Finding a job is hard right now. To cope, Gen Zers are documenting the reality of unemployment in 2025.

“You look sadder,” one TikTok po

11 juil. 2025, 10:30:04 | Fast company - tech
The most effective AI tools for research, writing, planning, and creativity

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. 

11 juil. 2025, 10:30:04 | Fast company - tech
Tesla sets annual meeting for November amid shareholder pressure

Tesla has scheduled an annual shareholders meeting for November, one day after the

10 juil. 2025, 20:40:02 | Fast company - tech