Music City Loop Draws Reaction From Legislators & Citizen’s Organizations

Image Credit: The Boring Company via TN.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –

Lots of questions surround the announcement of the Music City Loop, a project that will involve a privately funded tunnel loop from the airport to downtown Nashville.

Property rights, lack of community involvement, transparency, and safety issues are among the questions posed from both sides of the political aisle.

Just days after the announcement and kick-off ceremony, led by the governor, U.S. Transportation Secretary, and a representative of the company that will build the tunnel, questions and concerns started pouring in from across the political spectrum.

Immediately after the formal announcement of the project was made, State Senator Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville, District 19) held a media conference in the Cordell Hull Press Room demanding answers to a long list of questions.

A Facebook video link to Oliver’s media conference is linked HERE.

Oliver’s friends and grassroots organizations from across the political aisle share some of the questions that she addressed at her media conference, some of which contacted the Tennessee Conservative News but wish to remain anonymous.

Oliver questioned the process of bringing the tunnel project to fruition without public input, excluding certain legislators that represent the Nashville area, and failing to address safety concerns, fair labor, and property issues.

The day before the media conference, the senator stated the following.   “I am outraged by this secretive process that completely bypassed Democratic legislators, community input and basic transparency,” Sen. Oliver said. ” There was no public bid process for this massive giveaway of state property and right-of-way. Why wasn’t this opened to competitive proposals that might better serve our community?”

Senator Oliver’s complete media release is linked HERE.

At least one prominent conservative likened the transparency issue to “decisions made in smoke filled rooms.”

On July 28, 2025, when the formal announcement of the tunnel project was made, the governor posted a statement about the project on his state webpage, stating in part, “Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced The Boring Company’s intent to build the Music City Loop, a transformative private transportation project that will bring the company’s innovative underground Loop system to Nashville at zero cost to taxpayers, marking a bold step forward in advancing mobility, economic growth, and infrastructure modernization across the region.” 

The complete statement made by the governor is linked here, including statements of support from elected officials and community leaders.

Absent from the list of supporters featured in the governor’s post was Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. The Tennessee Conservative News reached out to O’Connell’s office for a statement on the project but has not received a response.

The chair of the Tennessee House Democratic Caucus, who represents part of Nashville in the legislature, released a statement after the project announcement, stating in part,” What Tennesseans witnessed today was the result of a smart businessman identifying an easy target in starry-eyed Bill Lee. No responsible executive would give away unrestricted and unlimited underground property rights to an unhinged billionaire, who Donald Trump doesn’t even trust anymore, and grant him and his company exclusive access rights beneath our city and a monopoly to profit in perpetuity. Such a decision without necessary due diligence is fiscally irresponsible and legally suspect.” – said State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville, District 55)

A complete copy of Clemmons’ media release is linked HERE.

Finally, a grassroots conservative group chimed in as follows. “The Boring project has erupted fully formed, with Republicans as well as Democrats trying to catch up. What does this mean for transparency in state government? This is being done “in coordination with Governor Lee”? The Tennessee Transportation Modernization Act of 2024 was followed by the creation of the Tennessee transportation financing authority in 2025. This last bill was passed during the Special Session, ostensibly to satisfy some transparency requirements. The transportation finance authority has a board composed of the governor, the commissioner of finance and administration, the state treasurer, the secretary of state, and the comptroller. Where is the Department of Transportation? Where is legal or legislative oversight? Is the governor now making private contracts with just this board as oversight? This is the danger of PPPs, public private contracts authorized under the Transportation Modernization Act of 2024. This does not bode well for Tennessee.” – said Anne Featherston, Founder, Tennessee Action Group of Fentress County

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.