Tennessee Selects Developer for $9.2 Billion Interstate Choice Lane Project

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-08-26

State officials have chosen a construction team for a $9.2 billion public-private partnership to build choice lanes along Tennessee's Interstate 24 corridor.

Tennessee officials have selected a development consortium for a $9.2 billion highway expansion project, marking the largest public-private partnership concession for interstate choice lanes in United States history.

Governor Bill Lee announced the landmark selection for the infrastructure initiative, which will construct managed choice lanes along a high-density corridor of Interstate 24 between Nashville and Murfreesboro. The project is designed to alleviate chronic traffic congestion by introducing dynamically priced toll options while maintaining all existing non-tolled general purpose lanes.

Under the terms of the public-private framework, the chosen development consortium will be responsible for financing, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the dedicated express lanes over a multi-decade agreement. This arrangement shifts financial risk away from state taxpayers while allowing the state to expedite major roadway improvements.

The contract is part of the state's broader Transportation Modernization Act, a legislative framework enacted to address severe regional gridlock without raising fuel taxes or taking on state debt. State transport officials emphasized that private investment is critical to keeping pace with rapid population growth across the region.

Final contract negotiations and execution of the formal concession agreement are expected to conclude in the coming months, after which detailed construction schedules will be released. Once complete, the expanded corridor is projected to improve travel times for both daily commuters and commercial freight fleets.