Plan focuses on infrastructure needs in distressed and at-risk counties
NASHVILLE– Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner Clay Bright today released TDOT’s annual three-year transportation program, featuring approximately $2.1 billion in infrastructure investments for 139 individual project phases. The program provides support for Lee’s first Executive Order by funding work on 86 highway and bridge projects in economically distressed and at-risk counties.
“Investing in infrastructure is an important part of driving economic opportunity throughout our state,” Lee said. “This funding, particularly for rural Tennessee, will help to keep Tennesseans safe.”
The program places a high emphasis on the repair and replacement of bridges, with activities beginning on 91 structures in 44 counties. Seventeen of those bridges are on the state highway system, with the other 74 on local roads.
The comprehensive program also continues to build on the progress of the IMPROVE Act, which provides for infrastructure investments in all 95 counties. This year’s program budgets dollars for 230 of the 962 projects listed as part of the 2017 legislation.
Construction will begin on several critical transportation projects across the state:
- Cocke County, Newport Bypass (SR 35/US 321)
- Davidson & Rutherford Counties, I-24 Smart Corridor Phase II
- Fayette County, Somerville Beltway (SR 460/US 64)
- Hamilton County, Apison Pike (SR 317)
- Madison County, I-40 from US 45 to US 70
- Maury County, I-65 Interchange at SR 99
- Obion County, I-69 from SR 3 to SR 21
- Rutherford County, Jefferson Pike (SR 266)
In addition to the 2020 budgeted program, partial plans for 2021 and 2022 are included, along with funding for 15 transportation programs including Rockfall Mitigation, Spot Safety Improvement, and the statewide HELP Program. The program also provides funding for transit agencies in all 95 counties, as well as Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations.
To view a complete list of projects and programs funded through the 2020-2022 three-year multimodal program, visit https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/documents/TransportationImprovementProgram2019.pdf.
