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Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
Tennessee continues to forge ahead in the largest public-private partnership on record in the United States in their I-24 Southeast Choice Lane project which will force Tennesseans from their homes as well as damage property values.
The $24.8 billion P3 concession which has been approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for the managed lanes project along one of Nashville’s most congested interstate stretches is just the beginning of what a 2023 law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly has made possible.
Heavy construction of the 26-mile corridor is expected to begin in 2029 but despite TDOT holding community meetings about the coming toll lanes, residents in southeast Nashville who may be affected by the project are in limbo about what it means for them and their homes.
In January TDOT estimated that 33 homes and 18 commercial properties would have to be torn down as part of the project, but the total number of properties and residents is still not known.
TDOT says the project positions the state “at the forefront of a growing national conversation about how states can use private-sector investment and expertise to address congestion, deliver major infrastructure and create long-term value for taxpayers.”
The 2023 Transportation Modernization Act is the legislation responsible for transforming the state’s transportation program.
The Transportation Modernization Board selected DriveTN consortium to head up the I-24 project. The deal is expected to create a model for other transportation agencies to study.
In studying Tennessee’s transportation infrastructure needs as a whole, it was found that the state is looking at approximately $87 billion in projects of which the I-24 corridor is the first. The state is eyeing three potential projects for the future that would extend Choice Lanes along I-24 and I-65 through Nashville’s downtown, along I-40 going past Nashville International Airport, and along I-840 and I-24 through Murfreesboro.
The construction of the initial I-24 project will happen, in part, outside of the existing heavily trafficked lanes to minimize disruption but will include major roadway reconstruction as well as new bridges and replacement of existing bridges.
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About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
