Innovative Program Lets Drivers Choose Convenience Over Congestion on Tennessee Roadways

Since 2010, the population of Tennessee’s major metro areas has grown by 750,000 people. And while that pace has slowed down over the last five years, people continue to pour into the state for its favorable economic conditions, lower cost of living and attractive quality of life. But that growth has led to increased traffic congestion and longer commute times, threatening the state’s future economic vitality and growth. 

The impact goes beyond Tennessee's borders too, as the state’s highways provide vital connectivity between the Midwest, the Southeast and the Eastern seaboard. That linkage comes at a price, with ever-increasing regional traffic on Tennessee highways as the U.S. south continues to surge in population and economic activity. 

Providing a roadmap for the future…

To address these challenges, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has embarked on an ambitious Public-Private Partnership (P3) program aimed at modernizing and expanding the state's transportation network. The program takes advantage of first-of-its-kind state legislation that provides $3 billion in additional funding that TDOT is using to leverage private investment for congestion relief projects across the state. 

As part of a recently awarded P3 General Engineering Contract, Jacobs is helping TDOT plan, design and implement a statewide P3 program focused on Tennessee’s major cities. The program will allow private concessionaires, developers and contractors to finance and build much-needed transportation infrastructure in critically congested corridors in the Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville areas.

Choosing convenience over congestion…

Among the first P3 projects being proposed are new ‘Choice Lanes’ connecting Nashville to the rapidly expanding suburbs along I-24 to the southeast. Choice Lanes are new travel lanes that use dynamic pricing to manage demand and provide travel-time reliability in this heavily traveled corridor. Once up and running, the I-24 Choice Lanes P3 project will provide a minimum operating speed of 45 miles per hour at all times, especially during rush hours when traffic in existing lanes barely moves or is even at a standstill. 

TDOT’s P3 program differs from traditional toll roads, which require all motorists to pay a fee to use any travel lane. With Choice Lanes, road users pay for the “choice” to avoid congestion on designated lanes while other motorists continue to use the free, general-use lanes.

In return for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the Choice Lanes, the concessionaire is allowed to charge user fees through the P3 arrangement while Tennessee retains ownership of the roads. This innovative approach not only helps reduce traffic congestion but it frees up state funds to provide much-needed transportation improvements in other areas, thus helping these areas share in the continued economic momentum across the state and lead to enhanced quality of life for all of Tennessee.