NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some new machinery at the Music City Loop’s construction site near the state capital will move around 33,000 pounds of rock per minute once operational.
When fully operational, the system could use approximately 18 to 20 miles of belt to remove approximately 33,000 pounds of rock per minute from the tunneling operation.
Dr. Mark Abolins, a Geosciences professor at Middle Tennessee State University, explained what the Boring machines will encounter underground.
"They're going to be tunneling beneath through limestone and some other sedimentary rocks," Abolins said. "It's harder to tunnel through it than it would be for loose sand and gravel, but tunnels in other parts of the world have been excavated through limestone rocks, and indeed tunnels have been excavated through rocks that are quite a bit harder than these," Abolins said.
The Boring Company's website indicates the extracted rock will be transported from the launch site to disposal or recycling facilities.
The tunnel system aims to connect Nashville's airport and downtown area, with plans to eventually add approximately 20 additional stations throughout the region.
Click here for more information about the Music City Loop’s construction process.
According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, The Boring Company is currently in the permitting process and conducting various tests, though actual tunneling has not yet begun.
TDOT provided me with the following statement about that permitting process.
"TDOT continues to work with The Boring Company through the permitting process. The Boring Company is currently conducting tests; tunneling has not begun.
TDOT reviews permit applications any time an entity (business, property owner, etc.) requests to work on the state highway Right-of-Way (ROW). It is standard operating procedure to tailor each permit to its corresponding application. This being a first-of-its-kind project, we expect this request would result in an enhanced grading permit to address the large scope of work and that may require additional information and requirements of the permittee to ensure all state interests are maintained throughout construction.
The Boring Company must also obtain a lease from TDOT for long-term occupancy and operation. The lease would go through the Excess Land process, which requires concurrence from the Federal Highway Administration. For both a permit and a lease, The Boring Company would be responsible for obtaining all required permits and approvals from other agencies with regulatory authority over the work."
I reached out to The Boring Company for comment on this story.
If I hear back, I’ll update this article with their response.
This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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