The Boring Company began exploratory drilling on West End Avenue near Vanderbilt’s campus on Oct. 10, according to the company’s X post. The drilling is not part of the company’s Music City Loop project, which aims to connect downtown Nashville, Tennessee, to Nashville International Airport. According to the Tennessean, the company previously expressed interest in drilling in other parts of Nashville.
The Boring Company is an American civil engineering firm that aims to solve traffic congestion problems and transform cities with underground tunnels. It was founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of xAI and X.
In an email to The Hustler, sophomore Cayden Leslie said he was concerned about the company’s drilling ventures and has not heard much about the drilling near Vanderbilt.
“I am strongly against [the drilling] not only as a Vanderbilt student but also as a Nashville native because I have not heard of any votes from local officials approving the tunnel or have heard of any town halls about the loop,” Leslie said.
Sophomore Claire Conner said she was worried that the project has not been widely publicized and that she has not received much information about it.
“This is a project that will significantly impact the area I live in, yet I’ve heard next to nothing about it and have had even less of a say in what’s being done,” Conner said.
Junior Eleanor Buchan said that while she believes the drilling project could be beneficial, she stressed the importance of ensuring they abide by all Nashville public safety laws.
“I think public-private partnerships can be beneficial when they’re handled transparently and responsibly,” Buchan said. “It’s encouraging to see investment in infrastructure and innovation, but it’s equally important to make sure projects like this follow the law and prioritize safety, especially given Nashville’s karst topography, which is prone to sinkholes and can complicate tunneling.”
The university declined to comment regarding the exploratory drilling near campus.
