2/1/26 MUSIC CITY LOOP BLOG POST 

Welcome to the third official Music City Loop blog post!

What Has Happened Since the December 1 Blog Post?

Construction: Since the December 1 update, the team has been focused on preparing Prufrock-MB1 to begin tunneling. As our previous blog post stated,  Prufrock-MB1 arrived onsite and was installed prior to December 1. Since then, the team has worked intensively to complete final preparations and Prufrock-MB1 is ready to begin tunneling! In parallel, work has begun on the second machine, Prufrock-MB2, which will ship to Nashville in March.

  1. Prufrock-MB1, the project’s first TBM, completed commissioning at the Lot 16 launch site, a rigorous process covering more than 50 individual subsystems. Each subsystem was first tested independently, followed by a sequenced series of integrated tests that progressively verified the system's operations together under real operating conditions. Cutterhead rotation and functional testing were also successfully completed on site, representing the final technical validation ahead of tunneling. Prufrock-MB1 is ready to go and, upon receipt of all permits, will start tunneling!

  2. Prufrock-MB2, the project’s second TBM, is currently being assembled at TBC headquarters in Bastrop, Texas. The Bastrop team is completing final preparations ahead of delivery to Nashville in March.

Permitting/Approvals: As noted in previous blog posts, Music City Loop requires 45 separate permits and approvals, with 37 needed in order to begin tunneling. To date, 32 permits have been secured, and 5 are currently under review, reflecting continued progress. The remaining 8 permits relate to additional launch sites required to complete the Broadway and Airport alignments. Key updates include:

The most critical approval is the TDOT Tunnel Permit & Lease Agreement. The Boring Company continues close coordination with TDOT and is nearing final issuance through multiple rounds of review to refine the terms, conditions, and technical requirements associated with the tunnel permit and lease agreement for both construction and operations.

Another critical approval is the Airport Agreement - continued progress is being made to finalize details and agreement terms, with remaining details under active review.

Community Engagement: Music City Loop is grateful for the continued hospitality and engagement from the Nashville community. Through ongoing conversations with residents, business owners, schools, and community leaders, the team continues to gain valuable insight into Nashville’s priorities and how the project can best support the city’s goals.

  1. Meeting with Community Leaders: Collaboration with government partners remains a priority. TBC continues to hold regular engagement with Metro Nashville department leads, members of Metro Council, and weekly meetings with commissioners and staff from 8 state departments. In addition, ongoing and productive conversations with leaders across Nashville’s medical, university, hospitality, and business communities are helping shape how Music City Loop can be most useful to the city.

    To date, more than 30 Nashville community leaders, representing medical, university, hospitality, business, and government sectors, have toured Music City Loop’s sister system, Vegas Loop. If you happen to be in Las Vegas and are interested in touring the Vegas Loop, please reach out to nashville@boringcompany.com, and we will do our best to accommodate!

  2. Hiring and Workforce Development: TBC continues to recruit local talent and partner with Nashville-area universities to connect with students and graduates. As the project grows, new roles and opportunities are being added to support the development of a strong local workforce. For open positions, please visit here.

  3. Community Organizations and Volunteering: To date, TBC has engaged with more than 150 community, educational, nonprofit, and professional organizations and participated in over 70 in-person volunteer events. Community engagement efforts continue to expand across Nashville!

  4. Public Inquiries: We have responded to over 120 inquiries submitted to nashville@boringcompany.com - keep the messages coming! Every message helps us better understand community priorities and build a system that reflects Nashville’s needs.

  5. TBC X Account: Stay up to date on all things Music City Loop by following @boringcompany on X. Updates and live X Spaces will continue to be shared as the project progresses. 

  6. Have an idea for a tunnel? Get creative and pitch us your best 1-mile tunnel idea! TBC will pick a winner and build it for free! Details can be found at TunnelVision. 

The more we learn about Nashville, and the more time we spend with its state and local partners, the more exciting Music City Loop becomes. Your willingness to engage, ask questions, and help shape this project is invaluable. If there is anything we can improve or any information you’d like to see, please reach out anytime at nashville@boringcompany.com