An underground tunnel project connecting downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport moved forward Wednesday after state officials approved a right-of-way lease on Tennessee-owned property. The Music City Loop aims to cut travel time between downtown and the airport to approximately eight minutes. The project is being fully funded by Elon Musk’s infrastructure firm.
Gov. Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration approved a lease granting The Boring Company access to state-owned land. The agreement allows the company to move ahead with construction planning for the underground transit system.
The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk, is financing the entire project without state taxpayer funding. The administration has promoted the effort as a public-private partnership designed to modernize infrastructure while minimizing financial risk to residents.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised the project in a statement released by the governor’s office. He said leveraging private-sector innovation demonstrates how transportation challenges can be addressed efficiently while reducing congestion.
The project, first announced in July 2025, has generated debate among state and local officials. Delishia Porterfield criticized what she described as a lack of transparency from the company, stating that responses to council inquiries were delayed until legislation opposing the project was filed.
Charlane Oliver also raised concerns at a February meeting of the Nashville Airport Authority. She argued the tunnel does not address broader daily congestion issues and questioned whether it serves as equitable mass transit.
Supporters maintain the project represents forward-thinking infrastructure. Lee’s administration has cited the safety performance of the Las Vegas Loop, another Boring Company project, which reportedly received a 99.57 percent safety rating from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration.
Governor Lee said Tennessee continues to lead in exploring innovative transportation solutions and described the Music City Loop as a fiscally responsible modernization effort. State officials previously indicated construction could be completed as soon as fall 2026 if development proceeds on schedule.
The right-of-way approval marks a significant step toward construction, setting the stage for what could become one of the nation’s most closely watched infrastructure experiments.
