By the LOOP Nashville Editorial Staff

The Nashville Business Journal has uncovered new details about how Elon Musk’s Boring Company envisions connecting its proposed “Music City Loop” tunnels to Nashville International Airport (BNA).

Reporting by NBJ Senior Reporter Adam Sichko reveals that the twin tunnels would emerge on airport property in a small area of diagonal white striping near Concourse D—an area every driver leaving the airport passes along Terminal Drive.

How the Airport Connection Would Work

According to a draft letter of intent between the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) and The Boring Company, the two tunnel portals would sit side-by-side in a 4,200-square-foot zone at that striped area.

Tunnel vehicles—Tesla cars operated by Boring Co. drivers—would travel about 425 feet on an existing service road before reaching a 20,000-square-foot covered pick-up and drop-off area inside the terminal. That space is currently used by taxis and limousines, which would be relocated if the tunnels are built.

Passengers heading downtown would board in that same space and then head into the tunnels, bypassing traffic at speeds of up to 70 mph.

Negotiations and Challenges

Airport CEO Doug Kreulen confirmed that discussions with The Boring Company have been ongoing for months, but no agreement has been finalized. “I’m all-in on the idea of a tunnel between Nashville and BNA. Can we do it? It’s possible,” Kreulen told the Business Journal. Still, he cautioned that the plan remains “theoretical” until a signed agreement and construction drawings are in place.

The airport is in the midst of a $3 billion expansion, including new garages, wider roadways, and a rental car facility with space for nearly 5,000 vehicles. Kreulen noted that the longer talks with The Boring Company drag on, the harder it will be to coordinate tunnel construction with the airport’s own infrastructure upgrades.

Importantly, the draft letter of intent states that The Boring Company would be responsible for covering any additional costs needed to modify airport infrastructure to accommodate the tunnels.

The Bigger Picture

The Music City Loop envisions 9.5 miles of parallel, one-way tunnels between downtown Nashville and the airport, entirely under state and airport-owned land. The downtown end would sit at a state-owned lot near the Capitol at 637 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., which Boring Co. is leasing for free.

At the airport, though, the deal is more complex—requiring negotiations over land use, ride fees, and integration with ongoing construction projects. The MNAA has also proposed a $5 per-ride surcharge, mirroring what Uber and Lyft currently pay.

For Boring Co., the airport end of the loop is critical: BNA handled a record 24.8 million passengers last year, and that volume is a major factor in the ridership projections that could sustain the tunnel system.

What a LOOP Station Could Look Like

Based on stations built for the Vegas Loop, a BNA station could use a covered curb and walkway connection. Final form, passenger circulation and loading capacity would depend on airport-approved designs.

LOOP Nashville created an illustrative concept showing how portals, an airport service road and seven loading bays might be arranged. The image is not an official rendering and should not be read as a final site plan.

Once loaded, vehicles would re-enter the city-bound tunnel to the southeast, traveling under Donelson Pike before linking up with Murfreesboro Pike on the 9.5-mile route back to downtown Nashville.

Source: Reporting by Adam Sichko, Senior Reporter, Nashville Business Journal (Aug. 26, 2025).

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