Susie Alcorn, executive director, Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance, issued the following statement, regarding TDOT's Three-Year Transportation Program:
“The three-year transportation program unveiled yesterday by Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer does not add new capacity for transportation projects in Tennessee.
“The plan includes $1.2 billion in infrastructure investments, but adds only two new projects.
“As Commissioner Schroer has indicated, the conservative program outlined for 2016–2018 is just a sign of things to come.
Tennessee will soon be a maintenance-only state, funding only those projects necessary to fix existing roads and bridges.
“The three-year plan does not begin to address TDOT’s list of backlogged projects that exceeds $6 billion and impacts most of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
“The two new projects identified in the plan are the paving required to complete the construction of SR 66 in Hamblen County, and right-of-way acquisition for a portion of SR 13 in Montgomery County to support the future Hankook Tire Company.
“While it’s great to see that projects in Hamblen and Montgomery counties are included in the plan, many other Tennessee communities have been left out. Without additional revenue, the communities that currently appear on the TDOT backlog list will be left to wait for years.
“Addressing the state’s long-term transportation funding needs can be accomplished only through true funding reform. We hope the Tennessee General Assembly will give serious consideration to this issue and pass a comprehensive reform package in 2016.”