Image Credit: TDOT
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is considering an expansion of its current proposal of “Choice Lanes.”
According to the TDOT website, the department is looking into expanding their original proposal, which covers Interstate 24, to also move into Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
“Choice Lanes projects are being considered through studies in TDOT’s Regions 1, 2, and 3. TDOT’s congestion studies, feasibility studies, initial outreach to the industry, and results from Traffic and Revenue studies revealed corridors in these three regions showed the potential for successful future Choice Lanes,” TDOT stated.
The website also notes that expansion studies continue, and they continue to work with potential private sector partners to see who would be interested and whether the expanded project would be feasible.
“TDOT is in the early stages of Choice Lanes project development and more information about the future Choice Lanes projects will be posted on this page,” TDOT added.
The most recent update from TDOT about Choice Lanes came in December, when changes were released for its proposed I-24 project. TDOT says those changes came from feedback from communities.
The currently planned expansion includes privately funded toll lanes that are intended to ease traffic congestion. They will add two additional lanes to each side, allowing those who pay to have guaranteed minimum speeds and faster commutes. The state will exercise eminent domain to obtain land in neighborhoods that may be affected.
According to Rebekah Hammonds, TDOT spokesperson, project organizers have been meeting with members of the community and commissioning environmental studies to gather feedback on the proposal. She noted that they could not yet say how many homes and businesses might be impacted by the plan.
The department is continuing to make revisions to the design and hopes to have that prepared for additional community meetings to be held in early spring 2025.
