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TDOT tells finance committee it remains committed to legacy road projects while balancing inflation, funding and evolving needs
Summary
Tennessee Department of Transportation officials told the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee they remain committed to projects from the 1986 tax-restructuring program and the IMPROVE Act but emphasized a need to prioritize projects because of flat user-fee revenue, inflation and changing local needs.
Tennessee Department of Transportation leaders on March 18 briefed the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee about the status of legacy roadway projects, the department’s 10-year plan and the practical constraints that affect project delivery.
Committee members asked whether projects listed in the Comprehensive Tax Restructure Act of 1986 and in later statutes such as the IMPROVE Act remain priorities and how TDOT balances older statutory commitments with changing congestion and community needs. TDOT officials said they are "totally committed to every single project" listed in those acts but noted that funding, inflation and evolving local priorities have required the agency to break long corridors into deliverable segments and re-prioritize work.
Deputy Commissioner Preston Elliott and the department’s chief engineer outlined a multi-factor prioritization process that considers project performance, safety, time to deliver, community input and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) priorities. They said TDOT has advanced many…
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