Metro Council resolution challenges Boring Co. tunnel proposal over subsurface, labor issues
A member of the Metropolitan Nashville Council has introduced a resolution formally opposing The Boring Company’s proposed “Music City Loop,” a tunnel project intended to link downtown Nashville with Nashville International Airport, citing concerns over transparency, safety and public oversight.
According to Fox 17 News, council member Delishia Porterfield filed the measure following what she described as repeated but unsuccessful efforts to obtain detailed project information from The Boring Company. According to the resolution, council members requested formal briefings on the tunnel’s design, safety protocols, environmental and geological impacts, construction schedule and costs, but those requests were declined.
The resolution outlines multiple concerns, including limited community engagement, unanswered questions related to subsurface conditions, and uncertainty about long-term risks if the project is delayed, modified or abandoned. Council members also raised labor and contractor issues, citing reports from subcontractors about late payments, missing safety personnel and inadequate protective equipment, as well as similar allegations tied to prior tunneling projects by the company.
Porterfield and other council members said those issues are particularly concerning given Nashville’s limestone geology and flood-prone conditions, which typically require detailed geotechnical analysis and robust safety planning for underground construction, Fox 17 reported.
While the resolution does not give the Metro Council authority to halt the project, it formally states the council’s opposition as currently presented and calls on The Boring Company to release full safety, environmental, fiscal and geological studies for independent review. It also urges the company to participate in a public briefing before the full council prior to any use of public land.
The measure is scheduled to be considered at the Metro Council’s Dec. 16 meeting. If adopted, it would place the council on record opposing the project and increase political pressure on the developer, though it would not constitute a legal block. The Boring Company has not publicly responded to the filing.
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