Nashville Democrats Unhappy with Governor Lee's Partnership with Elon Musk's Boring Company

Elon Musk's tunneling venture, The Boring Company, plans to build a 10-mile underground loop in Nashville with state support, despite Democratic lawmakers' demands for answers on the plans. The Republican governor has praised the project, which aims to connect downtown and the Convention Center to the airport in 8 minutes. A state commission is holding an emergency meeting to discuss a no-cost lease arrangement for the project.

Nashville, TN — Elon Musk's Boring Company has been given state support to build a 10-mile underground tunnel system, known as the Music City Loop, connecting downtown Nashville and its Convention Center to the airport. The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and provide a swift transit option, with an estimated travel time of eight minutes.

The Music City Loop project was announced by state officials and representatives from the Boring Company at a press conference at Nashville International Airport. Governor Bill Lee, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Doug Kremlin, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, praised the initiative. The estimated two-year project will be privately funded and not require any public money or tax breaks [3].

Despite the support from Republican lawmakers, Democratic lawmakers have demanded more information about the project. They have called for a thorough review of the plans and have expressed concerns about potential environmental impacts and the lack of public involvement. In response, a state commission is holding an emergency meeting to discuss a no-cost lease arrangement for the project [3].

The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk in 2017, has completed several tunnel projects in Las Vegas, including the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop and the Resorts World Connector. However, the company has faced controversy over worker safety and regulatory oversight. In 2023, the company was fined over $112,000 by Nevada OSHA for exposing employees to potentially serious injuries or death [1].

The Music City Loop project is expected to remove thousands of vehicles from surface roads each day, easing traffic congestion while creating numerous job opportunities for Tennesseans. The project will utilize all-electric vehicles, possibly Musk's Teslas, to carry riders. The tunnel will be dug using land beneath state-owned roads, with the project expected to be completed in two years [3].

The Boring Company has been accelerating the development of its full self-driving assistance system using the AI6 chips, which will be manufactured by Samsung Electronics. The deal, worth $16.5 billion, is Samsung's largest chip order and marks a significant strategic partnership between the two companies [2].

References:
[1] https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2025/07/29/elon-musk-tennessee-business-ventures-boring-company-nashville-music-city-loop/85421368007/
[2] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/samsung-tesla-partnership-tesla-ceo-elon-musk-confirms-16-5-billion-ai-chip-deal-with-samsung-electronics-8980462
[3] https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/29/tennessee-leaders-back-musk-tunnel-plan-to-nashville-airport/