Three cities in Tennessee have been selected as finalists in The Boring Company’s Tunnel Vision Challenge, a competition that will award one proposal the construction of a free tunnel project up to one mile long, aimed at improving transportation or infrastructure between two locations.
The company’s infrastructure competition, announced in January, invited governments, companies, and individuals to submit proposals for innovative tunnel projects up to one mile long with a 12-foot inner diameter. The winning proposal will be constructed free of charge by the company.
Congrats to the Tunnel Vision Challenge Finalists!
We received 487 entries and are down to the final 16. We'll announce the winner on March 23, and then build it free of charge.
Thank you to all the applicants! https://t.co/cY2ULfsHtc pic.twitter.com/Ny28Dsx4wL
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) March 3, 2026
According to the challenge guidelines, projects can serve a variety of purposes, including Loop transit tunnels, freight routes, pedestrian passages, utilities, water systems, or other infrastructure uses.
Submissions were due February 23, and the winner is expected to be announced March 23.
Among the 16 finalists selected from across the U.S. and abroad are three projects in Tennessee:
- Hendersonville Tunnel in Hendersonville (Utility tunnel)
- Mountain Mile Loop in Gatlinburg (Loop transit tunnel)
- Vol Loop in Knoxville (Loop transit tunnel)
The proposals, according to The Boring Company, are designed to address transportation or infrastructure challenges in each city by moving people or services underground, avoiding congested roadways and surface-level obstacles.
Other finalists include projects in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Texas, and Panama City, Panama.
The company said its tunneling machine Prufrock is designed to accelerate construction timelines dramatically.
“Prufrock is designed to construct mega-infrastructure projects in a matter of weeks instead of years,” the company said when announcing the challenge.
The contest comes as the company, founded by Elon Musk, continues to pursue the Music City Loop, a larger proposed underground transit system that would connect downtown Nashville, the Music City Center, and Lower Broadway to West End Avenue and Nashville International Airport. The route would run roughly 13 miles.
On Tuesday, the Metro Nashville Council approved a resolution opposing the project by a 20-15 vote.
Despite the opposition, state regulators have already granted key approvals paving the way for the project.
Last month, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration approved a lease application and enhanced grading permit allowing use of state-owned property along Tennessee highways for the tunnel project.
Furthermore, a bill is moving through the Tennessee General Assembly that would create a centralized state authority to oversee subterranean transportation projects.
The legislation, sponsored in the Tennessee Senate by Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and in the House by State Representative Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville), would establish the Subterranean Transportation Infrastructure Coordination Authority to streamline permitting and regulatory oversight for underground transit systems.
Nashville, we’re digging – let’s celebrate!
For those Tennesseans who are in Las Vegas in March, you can ride Vegas Loop for FREE.
No ticket needed—just show your valid TN driver’s license to any station attendant and hop in!
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) March 1, 2026
Meanwhile, The Boring Company has leaned into public promotion of its tunneling efforts, with a special offer for Tennesseans who find themselves in Las Vegas this month.
In a recent post on X, the company announced that Tennessee residents visiting Las Vegas Convention Center in March can ride the Vegas Loop for free by showing a valid Tennessee driver’s license to station attendants.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
