The Boring Company has installed a high-speed rock removal system in downtown Nashville as it begins excavation for the Music City Loop, a planned pair of 9.5-mile tunnels linking Nashville International Airport and downtown. The system, called the Vertical Cassette and Belt Bender, lifts debris from the launch shaft and feeds a conveyor that will extend the full length of each tunnel.
The technology uses a continuous belt system that moves 18 miles of conveyor for every 9-mile tunnel. The company reports the system can remove more than 33,000 pounds of rock per minute, improving excavation speed for hard-rock tunneling. Crews recently completed controlled blasting to prepare the launch shaft and to enable tunneling beneath existing utilities.
The construction site occupies a football-field-sized state parking lot at 637 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard under a temporary no-rent lease from Tennessee. Excavated material will become the property of the Tennessee Department of Transportation for use in state projects. The Boring Company must restore the site when construction concludes.
The Music City Loop is expected to open in 2027 and will use Tesla Model X and Model Y vehicles.