NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Would you be willing to pay money to avoid Nashville traffic?
State leaders are working on a plan that would give you that option, and released new details about where they could be located.
Tennessee Department of Transportation administrators reiterated Monday that "choice lanes" give the state the opportunity to pay for roadway improvements that they couldn't normally afford.
"We could not buy all that real estate, we could not do the construction without utilizing public, private partnerships," said Joe Galbato, Chief Financial Officer for TDOT.
Choice lanes are optional toll lanes that would be constructed alongside existing interstate, where drivers could pay to get around traffic. Now we know where the first few may be located.
- Knoxville: I-40 from the I-40/75 junction to State Route 158 west of downtown Knoxville
- Chattanooga: The Moccasin Bend portion of I-24 heading into downtown Chattanooga.
- Middle Tennessee: I-65 from downtown Nashville to Spring Hill.
- Middle Tennessee: I-24 from downtown Nashville to Murfreesboro
TDOT has labeled I-24 from Nashville to Murfreesboro as their priority choice, saying it has the best chance to make the money necessary to attract a private contractor.
"That is the most attractive candidate at this point that we are moving forward," said Will Reid, Chief Engineer for TDOT.
But questions about the project still abound. Democratic lawmakers have criticized the plan for not being accessible to all economic brackets and for not providing alternative modes of transportation.
But the biggest concern seems to be price. TDOT administration argues keeping prices reasonable is the only way this project will make enough money.
"If you think about it, for this to work people have to ride on these choice lanes," explained Butch Eley, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Transportation. "And that’s what pays for them, so everybody is on the same page and incentivized to price these in a way that produces the maximum dollars."
But don't start shifting your commute just yet. The "choice lanes" won't come online anytime soon. Commissioner Eley says the earliest they could put out a bid for construction would be 2025. That means it likely wouldn't open until 2027.
"Really it’s the only option. We can’t do it the way we’re funded now because it’s too big of a project," said Eley.
But TDOT leadership is confident the initial money and time it will take will all be worth it. Otherwise, an already brutal commute could get even worse.
"Every dollar we’re able to get into a choice lane where it helps to pay for itself, is a dollar we can use somewhere else," said Eley.
TDOT also released a list of priority projects over the next 10 years. Notable proposals include finally widening I-24 from Nashville to Clarksville and a new interstate exit for Mt. Juliet along I-40. If you'd like to read the full 10 year plan or see if your community's project was included, the full plan is online.
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