Rep. Dan Howell
As new residents and businesses continue moving to Tennessee, it is essential that we have the necessary infrastructure in place to keep our state moving forward.
The General Assembly helped to ensure that will happen when it approved the Transportation Modernization Act earlier this year.
As chairman of the House Transportation Committee, I was proud to help guide passage of this landmark legislation, which includes a historic $3.3 billion in funding that will allow Tennessee to better accommodate its rapid growth and meet the transportation needs of rural and urban areas across our state.
Each of our state’s four transportation regions will receive $750 million to address their needs. For residents in Bradley, Meigs and Polk counties, this investment will allow us to widen highways, repave more roads and replace aging bridges in our communities.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) recently released its first-ever road map of infrastructure projects and investments that will be made across our state within the next 10 years.
This plan includes $275.4 million to widen I-75 from Exit 20 in Cleveland to Exit 11 in Ooltewah. This is the largest construction contract ever awarded by TDOT and I am glad it is happening in District 22. Other additional projects include $44.5 million to widen State Route 40 (US Hwy 64) in Polk County and $19.8 million for improvements at the intersection of State Route 60 and 25th Street in Bradley County.
The Transportation Modernization Act also includes $300 million in additional funding for the State Aid Highway System. This program includes roughly 15,000 miles of county highways and roads that are not maintained by the state but are still important to the communities they are located in. Half of this additional money will be split evenly among Tennessee’s 95 counties while 25 percent will be distributed on the basis of area and the 25 p0ercent will be dispersed based on population.
Bradley County will receive $3.6 million of these funds while Meigs County will receive $2.2 million and Polk County will receive $2.7 million. I am proud to help bring these investments to our community to improve our roads and make them safer for us all.
Along with additional funding, the Transportation Moderation Act also gives TDOT more tools to solve our state’s current and future mobility challenges. This includes the ability to use public-private partnerships to preserve state funds, explore Choice Lanes to decrease congestion and expand the alternative delivery model to complete road projects more efficiently.
Tennessee is one of only six states in the nation that does not borrow money to pay for road construction. In fact, it has been nearly 50 years since we issued bonds for transportation projects. This approach reduces the amount of debt our state has and can benefit our credit rating.
The Transportation Modernization Act represents a generational shift in how we address infrastructure in Tennessee while limiting the burden on existing residents and businesses. This will help keep our state and economy moving in the right direction for years to come without the need to increase taxes.
Whether you are raising a family, pursuing a career, furthering your education, starting a business or enjoying retirement, Tennessee is a remarkable place to call home. These significant investments in our transportation infrastructure will ensure the Volunteer State remains that way for years to come.
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State Rep. Dan Howell represents House District 22, which includes Meigs, Polk and part of Bradley counties. He also serves as chairman of the House Transportation Committee.