TDOT’s I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes project is the largest public-private partnership concession for an interstate express lanes project in U.S. history
Tennessee has approved a $24.8-billion public-private partnership (P3) concession for a $9.2-billion managed lanes project along a congested 26-mile stretch of Interstate 24 southeast of Nashville, marking the largest interstate express lanes P3 agreement in U.S. history.
The agreement, approved Aug. 19 by the state’s Transportation Modernization Board, caps a rapid transformation of Tennessee’s transportation program. Just three years after the state enacted legislation allowing transportation P3s, officials selected DriveTN consortium and advanced one of the nation’s largest highway infrastructure deals, creating a model other transportation agencies may study as they seek new ways to fund and deliver major projects.
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Tennessee Selects DriveTN for $9.2B I-24 Toll Lanes Project
To accomplish this rapid development, TDOT Commissioner Will Reid says that following passage of the Transportation Modernization Act in 2023, TDOT brought together expertise from across the department, including engineering, operations, finance, legal, environmental, communications and procurement, and supplemented that experience with specialized advisors who have delivered similar projects around the world.
“At the same time, we invested in the processes, governance and oversight needed to manage a project of this scale,” he says. “Before we asked the organization to deliver something new, we made sure we had the capability to do it responsibly.”
This preparation led to a competitive procurement process that selected DriveTN, made up of Transurban, Tikehau Star/Infra/Capital, Webber and AECOM as the lead designer and Ferrovial and Cintra serving as the primes.
A recent study estimated Tennessee’s statewide transportation infrastructure needs at about $87 billion. With this in mind, TDOT focused on a 26-mile stretch of I-24 between Nashville and I-840, Tennessee’s most congested corridor, serving up to 174,000 vehicles a day, with more projected each year.
“The Transportation Modernization Act gave Tennessee new tools to respond to challenges like this,” says Reid. “It allows us to leverage private capital, private-sector expertise and alternative delivery methods while preserving traditional transportation revenues for projects in communities across the state.”
Looking past this project, the state is already planning its next moves. During its Aug. 19 meeting, the Transportation Modernization Board authorized further development of three potential future corridor enhancements: a Northern Enhancement that could extend Choice Lanes along I-24/I-65 through downtown Nashville; an Eastern Enhancement that could extend Choice Lanes along I-40 past Nashville International Airport; and a Southern Enhancement that could extend Choice Lanes along I-24 through Murfreesboro and along I-840.
With the contract approved, attention is shifting to construction of the 26-mile corridor. While officials say heavy construction is expected to begin in 2029, current efforts are focused on finalizing the agreement, completing required reviews, validating commitments and, as Reid puts it, «moving forward in a way that delivers the project safely and efficiently.»
Meanwhile, officials say extensive preparation is underway, including utility coordination, right-of-way activities, environmental commitments, permitting, federal coordination, design integration and community engagement.
Building the project while maintaining traffic on one of the region’s busiest interstate corridors remains a significant challenge.
“One of the most innovative aspects of DriveTN’s proposal is the decision to place much of the Choice Lanes infrastructure along an elevated outside alignment rather than concentrating construction in the center of the interstate,” says Reid. “That approach creates greater flexibility for staging construction and allows portions of the work to occur outside the existing travel lanes.”
The project includes major roadway reconstruction, bridge replacements, new bridge construction, retaining walls, utility coordination, intelligent transportation systems and significant traffic-management requirements.
“Every element has to work together within a carefully sequenced program,” says Reid, adding that the biggest construction hurdle facing the team is delivering what is essentially a new transportation system within one of Tennessee’s busiest and most heavily traveled interstate corridors.
“Success is measured by how effectively the entire system comes together while continuing to serve the people who rely on this corridor,” Reid says. “That’s one of the advantages of the P3 model. The team responsible for designing and constructing the facility is also responsible for operating and maintaining it over the long term. That encourages decisions that prioritize safety, durability, reliability and lifecycle performance from day one.”
