Nashville Greenlights Elon Musk's Boring Company for 10-Mile Underground Transit Loop
Elon Musk's Boring Company, with Governor Bill Lee's support, will build a 10-mile privately funded underground loop in Nashville, connecting downtown, convention center, and airport by fall 2026.
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Overview
- Elon Musk's Boring Company, partnering with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, has secured permission to construct a 10-mile underground loop in Nashville.
- This privately funded project aims to build "Tesla tunnels" connecting Nashville's downtown, convention center, and airport, significantly enhancing urban transit options.
- The underground loop is projected to open as early as fall 2026, providing a new, innovative transportation option for Nashville residents and visitors.
- The Boring Company, along with private partners, will fully fund and construct this extensive tunnel system, showcasing a unique public-private collaboration model.
- Despite facing past criticism for its Las Vegas operations and public opposition in other cities, the company proceeds with this significant Nashville infrastructure project.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources collectively frame the Nashville tunnel project with significant skepticism, emphasizing The Boring Company's history of unfulfilled promises and abandoned ventures. They highlight potential safety concerns and question the regulatory bypasses enabled by private funding, portraying the initiative as a risky, haphazard undertaking rather than a transformative infrastructure solution, often using critical and evaluative language.
"The Nashville project will be privately funded, according to an announcement from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and will be backed by The Boring Company and “its private partners,” who were not named."
Gizmodo"The idea of the hyperloop, which Musk admitted to biographer Ashlee Vance came from his hatred of California’s high-speed rail system, was also cast aside."
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FAQ
Construction on the initial segment is expected to begin in Fall 2025, with the first operational section launching as early as Spring or Fall 2026.
The entire Music City Loop project is privately funded by The Boring Company and its private partners, with zero taxpayer dollars involved.
The Music City Loop will connect downtown Nashville, the Music City Convention Center, and Nashville International Airport (BNA).
The tunnel system is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion on local roads, provide a zero-emissions transportation option, and improve urban mobility by moving thousands of passengers per hour.
This project would be The Boring Company’s second urban loop system following Las Vegas, which has transported over 3 million passengers and earned a high safety rating from the Department of Homeland Security.
History
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