Last summer, Elon Musk’s The Boring Company announced that it would construct an underground tunnel connecting downtown Nashville with the airport, with additional stations scattered across the city.
Many state officials lauded the private project, which aims to ease traffic by creating an underground passageway where a fleet of Teslas would operate as a rideshare service. But city leaders and state representatives from Nashville expressed skepticism about the ‘Music City Loop.’ Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell questioned the plan’s safety, and some Metro Council members have filed a resolution opposing the project.
While questions persist around the project’s feasibility and permits, the project isn’t a complete unknown — the Boring Company has constructed test tunnels in California and Texas, and does have one tunnel in operation: the Vegas Loop.
What is a ride in the Vegas Loop like?
Curious about what The Boring Company ‘Tesla tunnel’ will be like once it comes to Nashville? I took a ride in the Vegas Loop to get a better idea.
The Vegas Loop currently operates multiple stations around the city’s Convention Center, plus stations at three hotels along the Las Vegas Strip — the Westgate, Encore and Resorts World.
I went for a ride on Dec. 26, traveling from the Westgate to Resorts World. The ride, which is only about 1.5 miles one-way, was easy to access — I purchased my $7 roundtrip ticket on my phone as I pulled up to the station, located just outside the hotel.
A Tesla was already waiting, presumably having just dropped someone off, although I didn’t see any other tunnel users at either station. We quickly drove into the one-way tunnel, which is all white with multi-colored changing lights lining the walls.
There weren’t any other vehicles in the tunnel, so there was no traffic. But there also wasn’t much traffic along the Strip the day after Christmas, so, timing-wise, my ride was close to comparable with an aboveground journey.
What does the ride indicate for what’s in store for Nashville?
Because I didn’t observe other riders, popularity could be a question for Nashville. The Boring Company says that, since the Las Vegas tunnel opened in 2021, it has transported more than three million passengers.
Also, the Vegas Loop, while operational, is not complete. The Boring Company just began testing connecting people with the Las Vegas airport by traveling part of the route through tunnels and, partly, on roads. There are more tunnels under construction. Local governments have approved 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stations, including connections to the NFL stadium and downtown area.
A similar rollout could be in store for Nashville. The Boring Company says it plans to open the first operational segment of the Music City Loop in 2027, though not all tunnels will be complete then. The company has also, since the announcement of a downtown-to-airport connector, started planning for more than 20 stations around the city.
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsThe Vegas Loop station at Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 26, 2025.
Does the Las Vegas tunnel’s construction create any potential concerns?
There have been issues with the Vegas Loop construction. Nevada regulators have accused The Boring Company of more than 800 environmental infractions over the last two years of construction, according to an investigation by ProPublica.
The company has also faced workplace safety violations, as two firefighters were permanently scarred during a training exercise after exposure to toxic chemicals related to tunneling activities. Nevada’s state Occupational Safety and Health Administration office initially cited the company for the incident. But the Governor’s office later rescinded those citations after a call with the Boring Company president, Fortune reported. The regional OSHA office is now reviewing state-level processes and interviewing people involved.
In Nashville, the Boring Company has already run into workplace safety issues. One of the contractors involved in the Music City Loop walked off the job in November, citing problems getting paid, poor communication, and safety concerns. The contractor and other vendors have filed multiple OSHA complaints about unsafe shoring and lack of protective gear, but say they have gotten no response, the Nashville Banner reported.
It’s also important to note that the topography of Las Vegas and Nashville are very different. While Las Vegas sits in a basin filled with sediments, Nashville has karst topography. This means that beneath much of the city is limestone, which is full of cracks and holes, allowing water and soil to move through it. Reporting by WPLN has revealed that, because of the underground terrain, tunnel construction could create a risk of sinkholes.
For more discussion about this ride, listen to this conversation with Metro reporter Cynthia Abrams and News Director Tony Gonzalez:
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