Gov. Bill Lee clears way for Music City Loop; downtown church raises concerns

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee has cleared the way for the proposed Music City Loop to move forward, approving The Boring Company’s lease and enhanced grading permit to use state right-of-way for its underground tunnel system.

The approval, announced Wednesday, was granted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, allowing construction to begin on the privately funded transit project.

The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk, said the zero-emissions, high-speed system will connect downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport and link lower Broadway to West End through tunnels beneath state-owned roadways. The company said the project is 100% privately funded and will come at no cost to taxpayers. Officials estimate travel time from downtown to the airport would be about eight minutes.

“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to accommodate growth, and in partnership with The Boring Company, we are exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own,” Lee said in a statement. He called the project a “forward-thinking, fiscally responsible approach to infrastructure modernization.”

Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, said the project has reached a “shovel-ready point” and construction will move forward immediately now that approvals are secured. The first segment of the Loop system is expected to be operational by the end of the year, according to the company.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said TDOT’s lease approval helps advance what he described as an ambitious effort to reduce congestion and modernize transportation.

TDOT said in a statement that it conducted a comprehensive review of the lease and enhanced grading permit before granting approval.

A TDOT spokesperson said the review included detailed analysis of construction plans, technical evaluations and on-site geophysical and geotechnical testing. Because the project involves a long-term lease of state-owned property, TDOT followed the state’s formal Excess Land process, which required concurrence from the Federal Highway Administration.

While state leaders praised the milestone, not everyone is on board.

First Baptist Church Capitol Hill, located next to one of the construction sites, has raised concerns since plans were first unveiled in the summer of 2025.

“We are 160 years old — the oldest African American congregation in the city,” Senior Pastor Shane B. Scott said.

Scott said construction crews and equipment tied to the project appeared near the church last year, prompting concerns about potential impacts to the historic property.

“I had concerns about what digging would do to our property … sinkholes … and whether this project would be beneficial to this community and underserved communities,” Scott said.

He said he sent a letter to Lee outlining those concerns but never received a response.

“I sent a letter to the governor that still hasn’t been acknowledged or responded to,” Scott said. “The Boring Company does a good dog and pony show, but they’re not obligated to share anything beyond what they have to.” “This governor serves certain constituents. He’s not interested in serving all of Tennessee.”

Scott said members of the congregation have already felt blasting associated with preliminary work and believes Nashvillians should have had more of a voice in the project.

“I think it’s concerning, politics aside, that the governor hasn’t had a conversation with this congregation,” Scott said.

NewsChannel 5 reached out to the governor’s office for additional comment regarding the church’s concerns but has not received a response.

This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.