Gov. Lee announces statewide “Build with Us Tour”
Published May 31, 2023; 10:48 p.m.

Stops planned across rural & urban Tennessee to celebrate $3.3B Transportation Modernization Act

NASHVILLE, TN -- Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a statewide “Build with Us Tour” to celebrate the landmark Transportation Modernization Act and highlight key infrastructure priorities across rural and urban Tennessee. Gov. Lee’s travel will include stops in all three Grand Divisions throughout June and July, beginning in Fentress County on Thursday, June 1.

“As Tennessee continues to experience record growth, the Transportation Modernization Act will ensure our roads keep up with the pace,” said Gov. Lee. “This summer, I look forward to seeing how our new transportation strategy will prepare rural and urban Tennessee for continued economic growth and opportunity, without new taxes or debt, and I thank the legislature for its partnership to ensure our state’s success.”

Gov. Lee introduced the Transportation Modernization Act this year and signed it into law on April 17, following successful bipartisan passage in the Tennessee General Assembly. The plan creates a new transportation strategy and will invest an additional $3.3 billion to accommodate Tennessee’s record growth, address traffic congestion and meet transportation needs across rural and urban communities.

The strategy will give the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) the resources needed to solve the state’s current and future mobility challenges, including seeking the use of public-private partnerships to preserve state funds for rural infrastructure priorities, exploring Choice Lanes to decrease congestion and increase economic impact statewide, and expanding the alternative delivery model to save taxpayer dollars and deliver road projects more efficiently.

“Tennessee is at a critical juncture when it comes to mobility, and the Transportation Modernization Act will meet the infrastructure needs of our growing state, without incurring new debt or raising taxes,” said TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “I commend the Governor and the General Assembly for their work to prepare our state’s rural and urban communities for continued prosperity.”