Tunneling Under Nashville

The Boring Co. goes subterranean as the state vies for oversight.

From Megan Podsiedlik

Yesterday, The Boring Company announced that it is officially digging under Music City: “Tunneling has begun in Nashville—we are 2.5 feet in!”

The company also put out an abbreviated timeline:

• Weeks 1-3: The company starts digging with its tunnel boring machine, Prufrock-MB, and a series of tests and calibrations will be conducted (low production).
• Weeks 4-6: Tunneling will scale up to high production.
• Week 7: Prufrock-MB2 arrives, which is a more efficient version of Prufrock-MB (both bore and line tunnels).

The Boring Co. expects to open its first operation segment of the Music City Loop in 2027, with additional sections coming online throughout that year.

Fun Fact: The Boring Company's Prufrock series of tunnel boring machines is ironically named after T.S. Eliot's famous 1915 poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The monologue by the poem’s protagonist highlights inaction driven by anxiety, insecurity, and fear of social judgment—clearly not a problem for the Boring Co.’s CEO, Elon Musk.

State oversight: As Nashville's council gears up to vote on a resolution condemning the Boring Co. during next week’s meeting, state lawmakers are trying to secure control over the underground tunnel in Nashville.

A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and Representative Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) would create the Subterranean Transportation Infrastructure Coordination Authority to establish a state-level approval, permitting, inspection, and regulatory process for the Boring Co.'s tunnel project. The Authority would require 20 total positions governed by an 11-member board.

The board would be composed of non-legislative members, including seven appointed members and four ex-officio members. It’s unclear who would appoint members, though board appointments are usually a privilege of the governor and often require confirmation from the legislature.

The money: To get the ball rolling, the legislation calls for a $500,000, one-time increase in state expenditures for operational start-up costs. There is also a $5 million recurring cost to fund the authority annually.

Tunnel expansion: Lawmakers who support the bill find it necessary to establish state oversight due to the long-term aspirations of The Boring Company. “TBC representatives have stated their intention to expand the number of tunnel projects to include routes from Nashville to Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis,” reads the fiscal memorandum. Sponsor Johnson says that the state’s governing authority would help streamline the safety and permitting processes for subterranean projects that cross county lines.

✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH

Who bankrolls your councilmember? We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Take a Look)

HEADLINES

• ⚖️ Senate Speaker Randy McNally to retire after nearly half-century in General Assembly. McNally, an Oak Ridge pharmacist, was first elected to the House in 1978 and moved up to the Senate in 1986. He wore a wire for the FBI in the Rocky Top public corruption probe and later championed ethics reform in the wake of the Tennessee Waltz bribery sting. In 2023, McNally was also involved in a scandal after interacting with racy photos of a Gay Instagrammer. The debacle was turned into an SNL skit. (TNJ)
• 🏛 Court rules jailing local officials in TN for supporting sanctuary city policies is unconstitutional. The ACLU of Tennessee represented seven Nashville Council members in the suit challenging a state law that put local officials at risk of a felony if they voted in favor of sanctuary policies for immigrants. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti previously conceded that his office couldn't defend the provisions requiring criminal penalties and removal from office for lawmakers’ votes and did so again in the February 25 filing. (Tennessean)
• 🏙 Mona Hodge appointed East Bank Board Chair as Emily Lamb steps down to lead Metro Codes Department in Nashville. Hodge is an architect and lifelong Nashvillian who works as a Principal at local architectural firm Smith Gee Studio. (East Bank News)
• 💰 Pikeville nonprofit fabricated invoices and unauthorized payments, including $312,225 in bonuses to CEO and staff. The TN Comptroller’s Office revealed the executive director of Skills Training and Rehabilitation Services Incorporated (STARS, Inc.), a nonprofit that provides services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, fabricated invoices that resulted in at least $14,500 in payments to herself. Between 2018 and 2025, the executive director also issued at least $312,225 in bonuses to herself and other employees without documented board approval. (TN Comptroller)

DEVELOPMENT

• Rippy's Table & Tavern to open in Bellevue in late March (NBJ)
• Upscale diner-style restaurant, Au Cheval, slated for 12South (Post)
• Downtown office high-rise eyed for hotel conversion (Post)
• Varallo’s closes after 119-year run (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 Visit Neptune @ The East Room, 8p, $13.36, Info

🪕 The Creekers @ Station Inn, 8p, $25, Info

🥁 Live Jazz: Parker James, Paul DeFiglia, & Anson Hohne @ Vinyl Tap, 7p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

🎸 Open Mic @ Fox & Locke, 6:30p, Free, Info
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.