TDOT and FHWA Approve Lease for Nashville’s Music City Loop, Clearing Path for Boring Company Tunnel

State approval grants access to highway right-of-way for a privately financed tunnel linking downtown to the airport.

Overview

Gov. Bill Lee announced that TDOT and the Federal Highway Administration approved a lease permitting The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way.
The project is designed to connect downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport in about eight minutes and extend from lower Broadway to West End.
The Boring Company says construction will begin immediately, with the first segment targeted to be operational by the end of the year.
State officials frame the effort as private-sector innovation reducing congestion, with the company funding the project in full.
Local leaders, including Councilwoman Delishia Porterfield and State Sen. Charlane Oliver, question transparency and equity, as the governor’s office cites a 99.57% DHS/TSA safety rating for the Las Vegas Loop.