NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Executives from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company took questions about their Music City Loop tunnel project from Metro Council members for more than an hour Thursday night at a special-called meeting of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Council members asked representatives from The Boring Company about everything from environmental and safety concerns to how they plan to build trust in the community.
Several residents spoke during the public comment period at the meeting. Most spoke in opposition to the tunnel project, although Charles Robert Bone, the managing director for the developer behind Nashville Yards told council members he believes the project would be good for Nashville residents and tourists alike.
“Throughout Nashville’s history, we have succeeded when we’ve remained open to innovation,” Bone said. “Over the coming months, this council will get to shape what additional phases of this project may look like, and I hope you give it fair consideration on its merit and grounded in facts regardless of political divisions and frustrations.”
Those opposed to the tunnel raised concerns about ADA compliance, how the tunnel project will impact those living nearby and what they see as a lack of transparency and community engagement from The Boring Company.
Following the public comment period, The Boring Company Vice President David Buss gave a presentation detailing plans for the Music City Loop.
For now, the company has two main routes planned: one taking passengers from the Music City Center downtown to the airport, and the other connecting the West End area to the riverfront near Lower Broadway.
Buss said the trip from downtown to the airport is expected to take about nine minutes and they expect the trip from West End to the river to take about three.
The Boring Company also plans to include more than 30 stations along these routes.
Buss also said the company has been seeking out public engagement throughout the process by meeting with local leaders within Metro and state government, meeting with local businesses and nonprofits and posting written responses to community questions.
Buss said the company has been meeting weekly with the mayor’s office, but a representative with the mayor’s office later denied that claim both in the meeting and in a separate email exchange with WSMV.
The Boring Company representatives also did not name specific community organizations they’d met with.
When asked about safety concerns, Buss said the company follows robust safety standards both during construction and operation.
He said the tunnel is planned to have exits at least every 2,500 feet in case of emergency and is equipped with fire suppressant technologies.
As far as accommodations for people with disabilities, The Boring Company representatives say they have processes in place that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Boring Company officials said they could not comment much on the almost 800 alleged environmental violations they racked up during construction of their Las Vegas tunnel because it’s still an open case, but they did say that the majority of those violations had to do with “paperwork concerns.”
Several council members also asked if the company could address some infrastructure and utility needs like burying power lines and repairing or updating Nashville’s water system in the tunneling process. The Boring Company said they would be open to conversations about it.
Representatives said The Boring Company would dispose of the material removed from the ground during the tunneling process, but did not say where. They said the Tennessee Department of Transportation has first right of refusal for that material before it’s removed, and The Boring Company is not planning to sell the rock.
The Boring Company says it has had private conversations with property owners about securing easements for the project and says per their agreement with TDOT, they will be fully responsible for covering 100 percent of the cost to repair any damage done to private property during the project.
If the project halts or The Boring Company pulls out of it, they say the state of Tennessee would acquire the tunnels.
You can watch the full special-called meeting here.
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