Tennessee Picks Partner for $9.2B Toll Lanes

DriveTN Selected for I-24 Project

Tennessee has selected the DriveTN consortium as its private-sector partner for a $9.2 billion Choice Lanes project on Interstate 24.

Gov. Bill Lee announced the selection on Aug. 19. The project would add lanes in each direction along 26 miles between Nashville and Interstate 840. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and take about eight years to complete.

Choice Lanes Use Demand-Based Pricing

The project is part of Tennessee's Choice Lanes initiative, created under the state's 2023 Transportation Modernization Act. The law gave Tennessee the framework to use public-private partnerships and optional priced lanes for major highway work.

Choice Lanes are designed as optional lanes with prices that change based on demand. The goal is to keep traffic moving throughout the day, with the state citing typical rush-hour speeds around 45 mph. Some completed lanes may open before the full project is finished.

More Corridors Are Under Review

The Transportation Modernization Board also authorized development work on three possible future corridor enhancements: an extension along I-24/I-65 through downtown Nashville, an I-40 extension near Nashville International Airport, and an extension along I-24 through Murfreesboro and I-840 toward U.S. 41.

For fleets that operate service routes, public works vehicles, utility crews, healthcare transport, retail delivery or regional equipment moves around Middle Tennessee, the details will matter well before the ribbon-cutting. Toll policy, lane access rules, construction phasing and reimbursement practices can all change route cost and schedule reliability. The project is not just a highway story; it is a planning signal for fleet teams that already treat Nashville congestion as an operating variable.