Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell reportedly sent a “list of questions” to the Boring Company ahead of the Monday press conference where Governor Bill Lee announced the Music City Loop, a tunnel to be constructed by Elon Musk’s company, which will connect the Nashville International Airport with downtown Nashville.
“We are aware of the state’s conversations with the Boring Company, and we have a number of operational questions to understand the potential impacts on Metro and Nashvillians,” said O’Connell in a statement prior to the Monday press conference, according to WKRN.
The outlet reported that the mayor on Tuesday confirmed his office “submitted a list of questions,” about the project, which it intends to release publicly “over time.”
While O’Connell’s comments may suggest friction between Metro Nashville and the State of Tennessee on the project, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) hinted at their cooperation in a video played during the Monday unveiling of the Music City Loop.
“The Boring Company has chosen Tennessee and Nashville,” said Hagerty in the prerecorded message. “To see the work between the City of Nashville and the State of Tennessee, coming together to create the environment necessary for this success, has been absolutely fantastic.”
However, it was previously reported that the Music City Loop could be constructed without input from Metro Nashville by tapping into state-owned land, including along the path of Murfreesboro Pike.
To that end, Axios reported on Tuesday that the Tennessee State Building Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, when it will approve a lease agreement with the Boring Company for a state-owned parking lot in downtown Nashville.
According to the agenda item, the Boring Company “intends to construct vehicular tunnels in Nashville connecting downtown to the airport and needs a site downtown from which its tunnel boring machine can be launched and from which Lessor can manage construction activities related to the tunnel project.”
The lease will last until March 2027, and should Tennessee decide to retire the Music City Loop, the Boring Company would be required to restore the property to its current state.
It additionally gives Tennessee the authority to terminate the agreement if the company fails to begin or complete the Music City Loop, or if the Boring Company opts not to use the parking lot as a station.
The company’s CEO, Steve Davis, said on Monday that the Music City Loop will offer point-to-point transportation, meaning that more destinations could be created throughout Nashville without increasing transit time.
“Loop is currently operating in Las Vegas, we’ve had more than 3 million passengers through it, and it’s a pretty great product in that you get to ride in a beautiful, comfortable car, and you go point-to-point,” said Davis on Monday. “You could have five stations, ten stations, 30 stations, 50 stations, and a station by the way is just a nice-looking parking lot.”
The Boring Company began hiring workers in Nashville on Tuesday, and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said during the Monday press conference that the company plans to complete the Music City Loop in two years.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell. Photo “Elon Musk” by The Royal Society. CC BY-SA 3.0.
I am certainly not an O’Connell fan but I consider the proposed tunnel to be nothing more than a waste of good limestone. Maybe Musk can fix Briley Parkway.
Oh great. It’ll be a repeat of the bullet train to nowhere in California. As for Musk’s company, I don’t think there’s anything boring about it. Get it? Boring? Sorry, I couldn’t control myself.