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Nashville is on track to welcome passengers beneath the city with the Music City Loop, an underground tunnel project by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.
Officials announced the Music City Loop on July 28 at Nashville International Airport, one of the planned stops along the 10-mile tunnel connecting the city center to Tennessee’s largest airport, the Tennessean reported.
Those involved in the deal include Gov. Bill Lee, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Nashville International Airport, Nashville Music City Center and the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to infrastructure challenges,” said Gov. Bill Lee in a statement. “By leveraging the innovation of private sector companies like The Boring Company, we’re exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own as a state."
"This partnership represents the kind of forward-thinking, fiscally responsible approach that will define the future of transportation in Tennessee," Lee added.
“The Boring Company is excited to bring our world class tunneling and transportation capabilities to Tennessee,” said President of The Boring Company Steve Davis in a statement. “We are appreciative and grateful for the continued support and collaboration from the State of Tennessee, and local Nashville community and business leaders.”
As the project gets underway, here's everything to know.
Why is the Boring Company building an underground tunnel in Nashville?
According to a news release from the governor's office, Nashville was selected by The Boring Company for its "rapid growth, strong economic potential, and dedication to embracing smart, forward-looking infrastructure."
The governor's office claims the tunnel will "remove thousands of vehicles from surface roads each day, easing traffic congestion while creating numerous job opportunities for Tennesseans."
The tunnel is also anticipated to extend the lifespan of Tennessee’s roads, reduce emissions and offer more travel options, particularly during major events and Nashville’s peak convention and travel season.
What will the underground tunnel in Nashville be called?
The Boring Company's underground Nashville tunnel will be called the Music City Loop, similar to tunnel projects in Las Vegas named the Vegas Loop and the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop.
How long will the underground tunnel in Nashville be?
The loop will connect Downtown Nashville and the Music City Center to Nashville International Airport with a transit time of eight minutes.
Officials announced that phase one of the route will extend for approximately 10 miles.
What track will the underground tunnel in Nashville take?
The Boring Co. plans to start with the downtown-to-BNA track and then expand to additional stops across Nashville. Project leaders said the tunnel will follow along state routes, though an exact path is yet to be determined
Will building the underground Nashville tunnel cause road closures?
Boring Co. officials said there will be no road closures or impacts from construction.
When will the underground Nashville tunnel be completed?
Construction of the Music City Loop will begin Fall 2025 and is expected to be operational by Fall 2026, at the earliest.
The goal is to have the project completed in two years, said Davis.
How much will the underground Nashville tunnel cost?
Officials did not share a total cost estimate for the project on June 28, but Boring Company Loop tunnels can cost around $10 million per mile, according to Business Insider.
"That's determined by The Boring Co.," Lee said. "They determine their own business model, what the costs are going to be, but the most important thing is it's not going to cost the state.
For comparison, The Boring Company's two-mile loop in Vegas cost about $47 million. It provides access to key locations with transit times ranging "between two and eight minutes" according to the company's website.
There are different fares for different tunnel routes and access points, which could be the case for the Nashville tunnel.
Will taxpayers pay for the underground Nashville tunnel?
The Music City Loop will be funded by The Boring Company and is expected to boost revenue in the region without impacting Nashville taxpayers, a project fact sheet reads.
"They could have taken their next underground loop anywhere, but they saw something unique about Tennessee," Lee said. "The best part of all of it is it’s 100% privately funded. There will be no cost to Tennessee taxpayers."
Will only Tesla drivers be able to use the underground Nashville tunnel?
The Music City Loop will be open to all passengers, regardless of the vehicle they own. However, neither Tesla owners nor non-Tesla owners will be able to drive their own vehicles through the tunnel.
Instead, the service will operate using a fleet of Tesla electric vehicles driven by trained Loop operators, without the use of semi-autonomous technology, despite Tesla’s recent push for Robotaxis.
To use the service, passengers must enter through a designated Music City Loop station and ride in one of the company’s Tesla EVs, accompanied by a Loop operator.
Contributing: Hadley Hitson, Stuart Dyos, Charles Singh
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Discover the Music City Loop: Why Elon Musk's Boring Company will dig under Nashville
Reporting by Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean / Nashville Tennessean
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