The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s year-long celebration of its centennial culminated today with the burial of a time capsule and installation of a granite memorial at Bicentennial Mall.
The granite memorial is located at the north end of the Bicentennial Mall, and pays tribute to 100 years of transportation in Tennessee. It was designed by Tuck Hinton Architects, who oversaw the design of the entire park. The time capsule, which is to be unearthed on July 1, 2115, contains many items designed to provide a snapshot of TDOT in 2015. It includes photos of current employees, a 2015 highway map, and the hardhat belonging to TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. The memorial and time capsule were paid for through donations by TDOT employees and industry partners.
“For a hundred years, this agency has been moving Tennessee forward with a fiscally sound funding philosophy and strategic investments,” Mr. Schroer said. “I’m honored to be a part of this milestone, to share TDOT’s history with our citizens, and to lead this agency as we begin looking toward the next hundred years.”
The state law creating the first state highway agency, the Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works, became law on July 1, 1915. The department was tasked with creating a network of state highways and to perform and oversee construction and maintenance on state roadways. It was renamed the Tennessee Department of Transportation in 1972.
Over the last year, TDOT has held a number of events to commemorate its 100th anniversary. A mobile historical exhibit has traveled across the entire state, including a stop at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. TDOT historians Tammy Sellers and Holly Barnett also authored a book chronicling the department’s history.
To learn more about TDOT’s history, visit the “100 Years of Moving Tennessee Forward” website at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/100years/. The website features a history video, agency timeline, a gallery of historic photos and documents.