A transformative transit project is underway in Nashville, as Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has officially launched construction on the Music City Loop. This privately funded, high-speed underground tunnel system is designed to directly link downtown Nashville—and potentially the Convention Center—with Nashville International Airport.
Project Overview & Timeline
Unveiled in July 2025, the Music City Loop will consist of a 10-mile twin-tunnel system that is expected to shuttle passengers between downtown and the airport in just 8 to 10 minutes. Construction began in August 2025, with crews excavating an access site in a state-owned parking lot near the State Capitol. Although the project is still in its design and permitting phase, tunneling is scheduled to begin by late 2025, with the first operational segment expected to be completed in 2027.
Capacity and Technical Specifications
- The system will consist of parallel tunnels located roughly 30 feet underground, beneath state-managed roads such as Rosa Parks Boulevard, Lafayette Street, and Murfreesboro Pike.
- Passengers will board zero‑emission Tesla vehicles, operating under NFPA‑130 fire and life safety standards, equipped with advanced smoke detection, fire suppression, ventilation systems, and flood mitigation using watertight construction, elevated station barriers, and powerful sump pumps
While specific car capacity per vehicle wasn’t disclosed, the system is designed to move thousands of passengers per hour, notably during high-demand periods such as conventions and tourist season
Environmental & Geological Considerations
Construction in Nashville’s hard, limestone-rich terrain presents challenges—but The Boring Company claims this geology actually aids stable tunneling. Watertight tunnels, elevated entry points, and active pumping systems will be used to mitigate flooding.
Summary Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Length | 10 miles |
| Route | Downtown → Convention Center (potential) → Nashville Airport |
| Transit Time | ~8–10 minutes by Tesla EV |
| Start Construction | Late 2025 (design/permits underway) |
| First Operation | 2027 (initial segment) |
| Funding | Fully privately funded by The Boring Company |
| Safety Standards | NFPA-130 compliant, watertight structure, emergency systems included |
| Environmental Risks | Hard limestone terrain; flood/groundwater uncertainty |
| Benefits | Traffic relief, emission reduction, economic boost, infrastructure savings |
| Controversies | Transparency, permit process, public input, environmental assessment |
The project also aims to enhance Nashville’s appeal as a convention and tourism hub, creating job opportunities and cutting long-term infrastructure costs.
Governor Bill Lee and business leaders see the venture as a model public-private partnership: the project is 100 percent privately funded, with no expected burden on taxpayers. Critics, however, highlight a lack of public input and transparency, citing unanswered questions about emergency access, long-term ownership, transit system integration, and equity within the community. At a recent Metro Convention Center Authority presentation, The Boring Company pitched the airport tunnel as the “first leg” of a broader Nashville system, with potential to expand inward toward neighborhoods and even the convention center itself.
The Boring Company’s long-term vision includes additional stops and a citywide loop with 40-plus stations, built using American‑made tunneling technology
As Nashville tackles its urban congestion and modern transit challenges, the Music City Loop stands out as a daring experiment in private-sector infrastructure innovation. Whether it delivers safe, efficient, and equitable transportation—and serves as a framework for future projects—will depend on ongoing planning, public engagement, and real-world performance.
Below are frequently asked questions, with answers provided by the Boring Company.
Why Nashville?
TBC seeks to build useful systems that solve real problems in welcoming communities. Nashville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. The city’s traffic congestion, high volume of tourists, strong workforce base, and ongoing economic momentum make it an ideal location for Music City Loop. This project aligns with the city’s vision for innovative infrastructure and economic growth.
Additionally, Nashville voters overwhelmingly supported the Choose How You Move transit referendum in November 2024, signaling strong public support for additional transportation options. Music City Loop will further enhance and complement those transit options to further ease traffic congestion for Nashvillians.
How long has Music City Loop been in discussion?
The first conversations occurred with state and local officials in March 2024. The project was formally announced in July 2025.
How many tunnels will there be per alignment?
Two. Twin tunnels running to and from the airport.
Will construction be disruptive? Is the ground going to shake?
TBC designs and builds TBMs that generate minimal vibration and noise. In general, pedestrians would feel less vibration from the TBM than from a person walking on the sidewalk next to them. TBC has tunneled beneath packed convention center halls and the construction was imperceptible to the attendees above ground.
How does TBC ensure it won’t hit utilities? Aren’t there wires and pipes down there?
Generally, utilities exist between 5 and 15 feet below the surface, and Loop tunnels are approximately 30 feet deep. TBC nevertheless conducts extensive investigation and surveying, including analyzing as-builts, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) scanning, manhole investigation and potholing. TBC’s tunnel alignments also provide large spacing between the tunnels and utilities; if there is ever a close crossing, TBC will add sensors to the utility to detect any impact. On the TBM itself, TBC uses a redundant navigation system that is accurate to within 2 inches.
What is the process of tunneling underneath private property? Can you just tunnel under people’s land without permission?
Tunneling beneath private property requires the permission of the property owner. TBC typically enters into standard easement agreements (tunnel only) or station agreements (tunnel and station) with interested property owners. This agreement allows the company to construct the tunnel at a specific depth and alignment approved by the owner, ensuring transparency and consent throughout the process.
Will there be air pollution?
No. The TBMs and tunnel support vehicles used to build Music City Loop are zero-emission and all-electric. Once operational, the Tesla vehicles used for transportation are also zero-emission and all-electric.
How will rock and dirt (“muck”) from tunneling be handled?
TBC will manage muck from Music City Loop tunneling by employing industry-standard practices. Excavated material will be removed from the launch site and transported to approved disposal or recycling facilities in compliance with Tennessee regulations, identical to any other excavation project (e.g. a shaft for the foundation of a high-rise building)
Does TBC use hazardous chemicals during the tunneling process?
No.
Will Music City Loop be safe?
Safety is at the center of Music City Loop’s design and operation. Like its sister system, the Vegas Loop, Music City Loop will meet or exceed the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA-130) fire and life safety standards, and incorporate advanced safety features such as real-time gas and smoke detection, a wet standpipe system for fire suppression, and a bidirectional, redundant ventilation system to ensure air quality and emergency response capability. Tunnels are equipped with direct communications to a 24/7 staffed Operations Control Center via Blue Light Stations, LTE cell service, and secured WiFi links, as well as an emergency communications system tailored for police and fire departments. The absence of a third rail or touch-hazards eliminates electrical risks, and fully illuminated tunnels with redundant lighting systems ensure visibility. Comprehensive camera coverage provides 100% monitoring with no blind spots, including surveillance of passenger entry points to observe boarding activity and detect suspicious behavior, enabling real-time oversight. Loop drivers go through extensive initial and ongoing training, which includes emergency preparedness.
TBC works closely with local fire and police departments, undertaking hundreds of joint drills, to ensure first responders have the access and training they would need to act in the rare and unlikely event of an emergency.
In July 2025, Vegas Loop was awarded the Gold Standard Award by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the highest level of recognition the Transportation Security Administration gives to a transportation system for achieving top scores in security, emergency preparedness, and resilience. Vegas Loop was evaluated across 17 categories and earned a near-perfect score of 99.57% (the highest score ever awarded to a transportation system). The award reflects TBC’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and security for its riders for Vegas Loop and future Loops.
How do people use Music City Loop?
To use Music City Loop, passengers will either purchase tickets in advance online/in app, or scan a QR code in person at the station. This digital ticketing process grants access to a vehicle, allowing passengers to travel through Music City Loop with zero-to-minimal wait times. Once inside, Tesla vehicles will travel up to 70 mph through the tunnel network, providing a fast, smooth, and direct trip to the passenger’s chosen destination. As an example, see www.lvloop.com for the Vegas Loop ticketing website.
Where will Music City Loop stations be located, and how large will they be?
Music City Loop’s initial 10-mile system will connect downtown Nashville to the Nashville International Airport and hopefully will include major stops along the way, like Music City Center. Specific additional station locations along the alignment are still under evaluation, as TBC is engaging with the community to determine the most useful stops based on public feedback. Future expansions could include stations across other Nashville communities, with potential routes to be determined based on the city’s growth and transit needs, as well as input from the public and public officials. Stations will be designed to meet varying capacity needs: low-to-medium capacity stations can be 4 vehicle stalls with a footprint of 4,000 square feet, making them suitable for less dense areas, while higher capacity stations, such as those at an airport or a convention center, can be larger with 20 vehicle stalls and a footprint of 20,000 square feet. Stations can be either surface or subsurface, based on the property owner’s preference.
Who do you ride with in Music City Loop, and why doesn’t TBC use high-occupancy vehicles?
Passengers in Music City Loop ride in a vehicle, specifically for them or their party, unless they choose to share a vehicle with others, ensuring a private and comfortable experience. Party sizes of 1-5 people allow the system to operate as an express service, traveling directly from an origin boarding station to the destination without stopping at intermediate stations, reducing travel time. There are some scenarios, such as to a stadium on game days (i.e. when many people have the same destination at the same time), where higher occupancy vehicles may be used.
Where do passengers put their luggage for airport trips?
Passengers can store luggage in the trunk, in the frunk, or in the vehicle interior.
Will there be human drivers or autonomous vehicles?
The system will initially have drivers. TBC will explore interest from Nashvillians and local officials to introduce autonomous vehicles in the future, always with a mind towards creating the safest system possible. In all cases, the vehicles will be connected through redundant communications paths to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at all times, ensuring real-time coordination and support. The OCC monitors the Loop and the fleet on a 24/7 basis (as is done in Las Vegas).
How is the Loop different from a subway?
Music City Loop will be an express public transportation system that resembles an underground highway more than a subway system. If a subway line had 100 stops, a train would typically stop at each station, so the journey between Station 1 and Station 100 would be long. In contrast, Loop passengers travel directly to their destination, anywhere between Station 1 to Station 100, without stopping at the intermediate stations. Thus, the express system allows Loop vehicles to have faster transit times and shorter wait times than conventional subway cars. Loop also allows the construction of many more stations along the alignment, as the stations are approximately 100x less expensive to build and, unlike a subway, the addition of an intermediate station does not result in slower transit times or increased wait times.
Does tunneling in Nashville present any unique challenges given its limestone and hard rock landscape?
TBC’s TBMs are well-equipped to handle Nashville’s hard rock; historically, rock TBMs are the fastest TBMs as rock is stable/competent when compared to sand or clay. TBC uses state-of-the-art geotechnical analysis, surveying, ground conditioning, and surface/subsurface settlement monitoring to ensure safe and efficient tunnel construction. Hard rock tunneling is a known construction/engineering problem with known solutions; many other tunnels have been built in Nashville (including right now!), with typically smaller diameters and lengths.
How does Loop prevent flooding and water intrusion?
The tunnels are watertight by gaskets that seal the segment joints and a 3-inch thick layer of grout sealant on the outside of the tunnel. (Vegas Loop is almost exclusively submerged and operates almost below the water table without issue). There are only limited areas where the water can enter the system (at the stations). The stations are elevated with barriers and/or drains with pumps to keep water from running into the system. If water does enter the system the tunnels have redundant high-power sump pumps to exit any water. And in the unlikely event that the tunnels do experience large amounts of water, this does not present an electrical hazard, as it would in a subway or tram system with an electrified third rail. For one real world example, in February 2025, there was flash flooding in Las Vegas with water sweeping cars down the Strip, yet Vegas Loop remained open and unaffected.
Where are the Tesla vehicles charged, and how does charging impact availability?
The dedicated fleet of Tesla vehicles used in Music City Loop will be charged at TBC’s maintenance centers, which themselves are located along the alignment. This allows maintenance and charging without driving on public roads. These charging hubs are designed to support high-volume, rapid turnaround of the fleet without disrupting operations. To ensure charging and maintenance does not affect availability, TBC’s fleet (i.e. the number of cars) is approximately 20% greater than the nominal vehicles needed to meet demand.
There have been discussions about projects in other cities such as Chicago. Why didn’t those projects move forward?
TBC regularly engages with cities across the country and the globe to determine the locations that will provide the best fit for our projects. Informal conversations or preliminary design studies are quite common. Many factors, including project utility, community support, political support, regulatory landscape, and technical feasibility, ultimately determine whether a project moves forward. In Nashville, all the boxes were checked, allowing TBC to feel confident in making such a large private investment.
Has Vegas Loop been successful?
Yes, Vegas Loop has safely transported more than 3 million passengers between 8 stations. In its final form, Vegas Loop will serve up to 90,000 passengers per hour, rapidly connecting key locations such as Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, and resorts along the Las Vegas Strip, with transit times between 2 and 8 minutes. Based on its initial success, Clark County and the City of Las Vegas have approved and entitled 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stations, cementing Vegas Loop as a vital piece of the city’s future infrastructure. The project also received the Gold Standard Award, the highest level of recognition in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security TSA.
Author
