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Ferrovial selected to deliver Tennessee's I-24 Choice Lanes
DriveTN will privately fund the $9.2 billion project and pay Tennessee $24.8 billion over 50 years as the lanes aim to ease congestion.
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Transportation Modernization Board approved DriveTN to construct and operate optional 'Choice Lanes' along a 26-mile corridor of Interstate 24 between Nashville and Murfreesboro.
Authorized by the Transportation Modernization Act of 2023, the project addresses Tennessee's $58 billion backlog of unfunded road infrastructure that the state's current no-debt funding model cannot sustain.
DriveTN will privately fund 100% of the $9.2 billion construction cost, while the state expects to receive $24.8 billion in concession value over 50 years from the partnership.
Despite the approval, Nashville Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons warned the tolls could "profit off the backs of Tennessee's working families," while Glencliff residents expressed fear over losing 20 to 30 homes.
TDOT will host public meetings September 8 and 9 to address community concerns, while the board authorized development of three potential future expansions along I-40 and I-840.