Lee touts faster roadwork with new law

Jun. 5—Gov. Bill Lee stood before the Clear Creek gorge where a new bridge will soon stand.

Lee, touring the Hwy. 127 N. construction site, pointed to the Transportation Modernization Act passed this spring by the Tennessee General Assembly and how it will change road construction in the state — using the road currently under construction as an example of a problem that needed to be addressed.

"This project is a compilation of about six different projects pieced together to make one project," Lee said. "That's inefficient, costs more money than it should. With this act, we'll be able to build much larger segments without having to break them up. That will reduce time, taxpayer dollars, get roads delivered faster.

"What we're seeing here is an important project, but it's an example of why the process is going to be improved in the future."

The plan for widening Hwy. 127 from Interstate 40 into Fentress County was announced in 2008, though the project had been under discussion for several years before.

The complete project spans about 20 miles, though the initial project covered from I-40 to just past Hwy. 62 in Fentress County — about 13 miles. It is broken into seven segments.

In 2006, estimates put the project cost at $150 million. The state is nearing that total with the first two sections under construction.

Two segments are currently under construction:

—I-40 to near Potato Farm Rd., $62.9 million, estimated completion, summer 2025.

—near Lowe Rd. to near Little Rd. in Fentress County, $85.6 million, estimated completion fall 2026.

The portion of the road crossing Clear Creek is 3.2 miles long and includes a new bridge that will span 1,425 feet. It will be 150 feet tall at its highest point.

The bridge will have four lanes, two in each direction, transitioning to a four-lane highway with a dedicated center turn lane as the road meets Hwy. 62, where there will be a new traffic signal and improved traffic markings and turn lanes.

The state had to acquire 101 property tracts for the project, with 19 residential and two business relocations — just in the Clear Creek segment.

Right-of-way plans were issued in August 2020 for the two sections in the middle of the pieces under construction. The segment from near Potato Farm Rd. to near Hollow Lane is budgeted for construction in 2026. Construction has not yet been budgeted for the section from Hollow Lane to Lowe Rd. The section from Little Rd. to Kilby Rd. in Fentress County is not yet budgeted for construction, though right-of-way plans were issued in 2020.

The remaining two segments north of Kilby Rd. are still in the environmental phase.

Lee said the Hwy. 127 project would not be impacted by the new law, as the additional segments are already under development.

"But this law will make projects like this one come to fruition in a much quicker timeframe and cost less dollars to taxpayers," Lee said.

Tennessee meets the national average for time to build a road — 15 years from design through construction. But the state does not take on debt to build roads, limiting road construction to available funding. That's why projects like Hwy. 127 are broken into smaller segments.

TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said the bill balances the needs of growing urban areas with the needs of rural areas.

"There's a lot of needs in a lot of areas," Eley said.

The state has estimated a $26 billion backlog in road construction. The state also has not completed nearly 70% of the projects identified in the 2017 IMPROVE Act, which raised gas prices.

The Transportation Modernization Act was signed into law April 17. The law transfers $3.3 billion to help TDOT address traffic congestion and transportation needs as the state experiences record growth. Of that, $300 million will go into the state's program for local roads.

"The Transportation Modernization Act will allow for a modernized funding stream, a modernized delivery model — and do all of that without raising taxes or going into deeper debt," Lee said.

"Roads and bridges and highways are a part of the economy of the state, the fastest growing state in the region, and we celebrate that today."

The law includes exploring public-private partnerships to build "choice lanes" to decrease congestion in urban areas. Drivers would pay a fee to use these lanes, though non-fee routes would remain open.

The law also increases taxes and fees on electric vehicle owners. Currently, electric vehicle owners pay $100 into the state's highway fund. Lee's administration estimated drivers of traditional combustible engine vehicles pay an average of $274 a year in federal and state gas taxes. Registration fees will increase for hybrid vehicle owners to $100 a year with increases indexed to inflation.

While the fee increases would place Tennessee among the highest fees in the nation, other states are considering increasing fees on electric and hybrid vehicles to provide for infrastructure funding.

The law also expands alternative delivery models to provide greater efficiency in state road projects. This includes "design-build" and "construction manager-general contractor" models.

The "design-build" model combines all or some portions of the design and construction phases of a project into a single contract. This project is currently in use for the I-75 interchange at I-24 in Hamilton County and an interchange at Buckner Rd. in Williamson County.

The "construction manager-general contractor" model, or CMGO, brings a contractor into the design phase of a project to mitigate risk, improve the construction schedule, streamline the design process and develop a project that meets budget expectations. This model is being used on projects on State Route 1 in Davidson County and State Route 194 in Region 4 in West Tennessee.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.