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State officials tell Williamson County: funding gap leaves big road projects years away
Summary
Sen. Jack Johnson and Kent Starwalt told the Williamson County commission that Tennessee faces a major transportation funding gap — TDOT’s 25‑year needs exceed funding by about $16 billion — and that I‑65 South improvements are in the plan but likely 4–5 years from construction, while a toll authority would only study feasibility.
Sen. Jack Johnson and Kent Starwalt, executive vice president of the Tennessee Road Builders Association, told Williamson County commissioners on Oct. 7 that state transportation funding is under‑resourced and that major projects will take years to reach construction.
Starwalt outlined the economic case for road investment and several funding pressures: Tennessee’s per‑capita road spending is low (about $306 per person), the state fuel tax has not been increased since 1989, material costs for construction have risen sharply, and federal rescissions have reduced available dollars. He said TDOT’s 25‑year needs total about $85 billion while available funding supports roughly $69 billion, leaving a $16 billion gap.
"There is a huge gap between the needs, and funding," Starwalt said, noting rising material costs and only minimal growth in state fuel tax revenue.
Sen. Johnson urged continued communication between state and local officials and said the legislature is working to restore some road fund money, with a proposed $50 million return to the road fund in the coming budget as a first step. On I‑65 South, Johnson said engineering has been funded and the project is in TDOT’s master plan, but riders should expect a multi‑year timetable: "You're probably looking at 4 to 5 years before we'd be driving on it."
Commissioners asked whether a state toll authority or public‑private ventures would be a near‑term solution. Johnson and Starwalt said the toll authority bill authorizes a study and does not authorize tolling existing roads; any toll facility would require further legislative approval. Starwalt said tolls and P3s "are nice things" but are unlikely to meet the full funding gap.
The presentation included figures for industry employment, payroll and taxes, and cited a projected negative balance in the Federal Highway Trust Fund without additional Congressional action. No county budget action was taken at the meeting; the discussion was informational and intended to guide local priorities and advocacy.
