TDOT presents plan for 26-mile I-24 Southeast 'Choice Lanes,' opens public comment

The Tennessee Department of Transportation on Aug. 14 presented its draft plan to add two priced "Choice Lanes" in each direction along approximately 26 miles of I-24 between south of downtown Nashville and near Murfreesboro, and opened a public comment period that runs through Sept. 19, 2024.

Rebecca Hammonds, P3 communications officer at TDOT, said Choice Lanes are "priced managed lanes that provide motorists the option to bypass congestion in exchange for a user fee." Hammonds told attendees the lanes would be optional and that no existing general-purpose or High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes would be removed.

The project team said the I-24 Southeast corridor was selected after congestion analyses identified it among the most frequently congested corridors in the state. Brian Ledford (executive director; affiliation not specified in the meeting transcript) described the draft purpose and need as improving travel-time reliability, addressing regional connectivity and supporting multimodal mobility along the corridor. Environmental studies began in early 2024 and TDOT expects the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process to conclude in 2025.

Why it matters: TDOT officials said the project would use a public–private partnership (P3) model in which a private partner would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the new lanes in exchange for future user fees. The Transportation Modernization Act (TMA) passed in 2023 authorized P3 delivery of Choice Lanes and provided a one-time $3 billion general fund transfer; TDOT said $250 million from that transfer was set aside for the Nashville region and that the private partner would supply the majority of the project's financing.

Schedule and next steps: TDOT plans to release a request for proposals in the second quarter of 2025, hold in-person public hearings in early 2025 on the draft environmental assessment, expects commercial close with a private partner in 2026, and anticipates construction beginning in 2027. Officials emphasized those dates are contingent on completion and approval of the environmental review by the Federal Highway Administration.

Design alternatives and access: The project team presented two conceptual alternatives and a no-build option. Both build two Choice Lanes in each direction, sometimes at grade and sometimes elevated depending on right-of-way and terrain. TDOT said the corridor-level environmental study covers the full 26-mile footprint even if procurement and construction are phased; officials said the first procurement may cover a smaller segment (they noted an illustrative range of about 12–14 miles for an initial project but said the full 26-mile corridor is being studied).

Access points under the two alternatives include direct merges from I-24, and exclusive Choice Lanes interchanges built for Choice Lanes users only. TDOT said no alternative removes existing general-purpose access. The Rocky Fork interchange appears as a direct merge in one alternative and not present as a full access point in the other; TDOT asked the public for feedback on those differences.

Transit, pricing and operations: TDOT said WeGo Public Transit buses would be able to use the Choice Lanes without paying the user fee; first responders also would be allowed free use. Officials described pricing as dynamically set by the private operator under methodologies established by the Transportation Modernization Board. Ledford warned the developer could face contractual requirements such as minimum-speed standards if pricing is set improperly and said TDOT will retain ownership of the roadway while the private partner will operate it under a long-term lease-like agreement: "TDOT will always own the road," Hammonds said.

Impacts, studies and mitigation: TDOT plans to conduct noise and visual impact assessments consistent with Federal Highway Administration standards and to include an environmental-justice evaluation following the EPA definition to identify and mitigate any disproportionate burdens on communities of color, low-income populations or other groups. Right-of-way impacts were described as not yet finalized; TDOT said some additional right-of-way will be needed in places and that specific tracts are still to be identified during design and the public-hearing process.

Public input and contact: TDOT said materials from the meeting and conceptual designs are available on the project website and encouraged the public to comment via the online survey, by email at tdot.24choicelanes@tn.gov, by phone at (615) 451-8039 or by paper comment card. Hammonds reiterated that all comments received during the comment period will be part of the official public record and posted to the project website.

Remaining questions and uncertainties: Officials addressed many attendee questions during the session, including whether transponders will be interoperable with other states ("still to be determined"), whether variable speed limits or the "Smart Corridor" features will remain (TDOT said it is too early to say how they will interact), and how incidents or emergencies would be handled (TDOT said first responders would have access and that use of Choice Lanes for incident response beyond that is limited by the contract structure).

TDOT estimated the corridor project could exceed $5 billion in total cost and stressed that the P3 structure is intended to bring private capital for a project larger than the agency’s typical annual budget (TDOT's annual budget was given in the presentation as about $1.2 billion). Officials said the private developer would pay for capital elements such as widened or replaced cross-highway bridges and new interchanges as part of the project's capital costs.

The public comment period for the I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes project opened Aug. 14, 2024, and runs through Sept. 19, 2024. TDOT plans additional in-person meetings and a public hearing next year as part of the NEPA process.