Musk’s Boring Company picks Tennessee tunnel finalists

Three Tennessee cities are among the finalists in The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” a competition launched by Elon Musk’s tunneling firm to identify proposals for a one-mile tunnel project that the company says it will build at no cost to the selected community. 

The challenge attracted 487 submissions from around the world, the Tennessee Lookout reported. Sixteen proposals have advanced to the final round, including three from Tennessee: the Vol Loop in Knoxville, the Mountain Mile Loop in Gatlinburg, and a proposed utility tunnel in Hendersonville. Submissions could involve freight, pedestrian, utility or transportation tunnels, including the company’s Loop concept, which uses electric vehicles to transport passengers through underground corridors.

The finalists were announced as The Boring Company begins work on a separate project in Nashville known as the Music City Loop. That development includes a planned 9.5-mile tunnel connecting the Tennessee State Capitol to Nashville International Airport, along with a roughly 3-mile route linking West End and Midtown along Broadway. Construction is expected to take at least two years, according to the Tennessee Lookout.

While the Nashville project has received support from state officials, it has also drawn scrutiny from local leaders and residents concerned about oversight and potential impacts. State lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would establish a new authority to regulate subterranean transportation infrastructure projects and allocate funding for permitting and oversight.

The Boring Company, founded by Musk in 2017, has proposed multiple Loop tunnel systems across the United States. Its most advanced project remains the Las Vegas Loop, where several miles of tunnel have been completed as part of a larger planned network.