Boring Company releases new details on tunnel as it begins digging on 'Music City Loop'

Описание: Elon Musk’s Boring Company has begun digging out an access point to create a tunnel for the proposed Music City Loop project. The tunnel will connect downtown Nashville with the airport via a fleet of electric Tesla vehicles. Its construction is privately funded, with the project touting zero emissions once up and running.

An active construction site could be seen on Monday in a state-owned parking lot near the Tennessee State Capitol. Crews have started excavating there to prepare for tunnel-boring machines. The no-cost lease for the state-owned lot was approved last Thursday, and work began almost immediately.

The project has generated both excitement and criticism, particularly around transparency and planning. The Boring Company released responses to 26 questions on its website, Sunday, revealing that the tunnel is still in the design phase

The proposed 10-mile underground tunnel will potentially include a stop at or near the Music City Center, which announced its support last week. The Boring Company says it plans to use twin tunnels running in each direction, approximately 30 feet underground- about 15 feet deeper than most public utilities. The company said the public will feel more movement from people passing on the sidewalk than the construction going on underground.

The company also said it is seeking at least three additional locations along the route to launch excavating machines, though those locations have not yet been identified.

The Boring Company wrote that the first conversations occurred with state and local officials in March of 2024. The project was formally announced last month. However, Nashville officials were not at the table and said they learned much about the project at the same time as the general public.

The Boring Company said the Music City Loop will "meet or exceed the National Fire Protection Association" fire and life safety standards, and incorporate advanced safety features involving gas and smoke detection, a fire suppression system, and a ventilation system. The company also said it works closely with local fire and police departments, doing joint drills, to allow first responders to train responding inside the tunnel.

The company addressed some geological concerns about Nashville's known hard limestone in its underground layers. It said their equipment can handle the city's "hard rock," and that digging out rock is actually easier since it's more stable than sand or clay.

As for flooding concerns inside the tunnel, the company said the tunnels are watertight, with limited areas where water can enter, like at the stations. The stations are elevated with barriers. Drains with pumps will keep water from running into the tunnels. If water does enter, there are high-power sump pumps to push it out.

The company said actual "tunneling" or digging out of the tunnel will likely begin in the last quarter of 2025, pending the design and permit processes are completed. The tunnel's 10-mile route will include major stops along the way, like Music City Center, which are being evaluated now. The projected opening for the first section of the Music City Loop is 2027.

As part of its commitment to transparency, the company says it will host several public meetings and has set up an email address for community questions at [email protected].

FOX 17 News has obtained a letter from Metro Nashville officials to the Boring Company and Gov. Bill Lee. The letter includes more than 70 questions and concerns about the project, such as emergency access, profit projections, and the scope of environmental studies.

A spokesperson for the mayor said the Boring Company has not yet directly responded.

Read the story here: https://tinyurl.com/4rmwd974
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