Tennessee leaders joined an Elon Musk company’s officials Monday in announcing plans to bore an underground tunnel dubbed the “Music City Loop” from downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport.
Musk’s Boring Co. initially would dig a 10-mile tunnel from the Music City Center to the airport on the city’s southeast side using land beneath state-owned roads. All-electric vehicles, possibly Musk’s Teslas, would be used to carry riders on an eight-minute transit.
In a press conference at the airport Hilton, Gov. Bill Lee said the estimated two-year project would be privately funded and not require any public money or tax breaks. A press release from the Governor’s Office said the company plans to start construction as soon as the approval process is complete and the first part of the loop could be operating by fall 2026, though the governor said environmental permits would not be expedited.
Lee declined to give an estimated cost for the tunnel but said it “will transform the way people travel from the airport” to downtown Nashville.