The Transportation Modernization Board unanimously voted at its first meeting Monday afternoon to include "choice lanes" for Interstate 24 between Nashville and Murfreesboro in the next Department of Transportation improvement plan.
The Transportation Modernization Act, passed during last year’s state legislative session, formed the board for the purpose of approving the recommended TDOT-designated choice lanes — or “user-fee facilities.” Democrats have filed a bill to change the language of the TMA so that TDOT must get approval of the local government where proposed toll lanes would be constructed. House Bill 1612 was filed by state Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) and is set to be discussed for the first time in the House Transportation Subcommittee Wednesday.
Board member Mike Keeney asked at the meeting what local community involvement would be with these projects. Brian Ledford, TDOT’s executive director of public-private partnerships, told board members TDOT would be working with local stakeholders during the process but did not go into detail.
Legislation largely centers on creating public-private partnerships to build ‘choice lanes’
The choice lane projects would add new lanes to the areas recommended and would not convert existing lanes. Drivers would pay a toll to access the added lanes. In December, TDOT unveiled its 10-year plan, which noted its prioritization of the Nashville-Murfreesboro project and said the state could seek bids from private companies for the project as soon as late 2024. At the board meeting on Monday, TDOT reps said the department could launch a procurement process in 2025 and plans to finish environmental and design work this year, along with further traffic and revenue studies for the project.
The board, made up of appointees by the governor and House and Senate speakers, approved the development to continue for the proposed I-24 choice lane project. Preliminary engineering for the choice lanes can now be included on TDOT’s three-year plan, which will be submitted to the General Assembly.
“These are new lanes," Ledford said. "They are optional, and they are designed, built, financed, operated and maintained by a private partner. As a frame of reference, TDOT’s annual budget for projects and programs is about $1.2 billion annually, and one of these urban congestion projects could easily eat up our entire budget for projects and programs.”
The TMA previously received criticism from lawmakers including Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) for giving private companies the opportunity when the state could potentially benefit from the "profitable endeavor."
TDOT has said other potential future locations include I-65 between Nashville and Spring Hill, as well as locations in Chattanooga and Knoxville.
The choice lanes effort comes as private-sector transportation initiatives continue to be explored for the Mufreesboro-Nashville interstate corridor.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
