Governor Identifies 128 Transportation Projects in TDOT’s Region Four for Funding

Projects to be funded through Recovery Act, Bridge Bonding and Traditional Funds

NASHVILLE— Governor Phil Bredesen today released a final list of projects to be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (Recovery Act), proposed bridge bonds and TDOT’s regular funding mechanisms.The three-tiered program represents more than 450 projects statewide touching every county in Tennessee.Included in the proposal, which has been presented to the Legislature, are 128 highway and bridge projects in TDOT’s Region 4 alone.

“The Recovery Act is fundamentally about creating and retaining jobs during one of the toughest economic times our nation and state have faced since the Great Depression,” said Governor Bredesen.“This three-tiered program represents a record investment in Tennessee’s transportation system. The Recovery Act, along with the bridge bonding and TDOT’s regular program, will put thousands of Tennesseans to work rebuilding and strengthening one of Tennessee’s largest economic drivers, our transportation system.”

TDOT’s Region Four includes Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Shelby, Tipton and Weakley counties.

“Not only will these transportation projects help create or save tens of thousands of jobs for Tennesseans, the end result of this investment will be a more reliable transportation system,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.“This three-tiered program represents a responsible, balanced and community based approach to transportation.Years of planning and study have gone into each of the projects funded for construction.”

47 Region 4 projects are funded through the Recovery Act, including a project to widen US64/SR15 from near SR225 to Sandy Flat Road in McNairy County, which was strongly supported by former Senator John Wilder and former Representative Randy Rinks.Tennessee received $572 million in Recovery Act funds.$85.8 million was distributed directly to the state’s eleven Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the City of Murfreesboro leaving $486.2 million for distribution by TDOT.

Another 65 bridge repair or replacement projects in Region 4 are funded through bridge bonds and 16 other projects are funded through TDOT’s traditional Three-Year Multimodal Work Program.

The Legislature is currently considering the transportation budget for approval.TDOT will let to contract all Recovery Act projects in May and June of 2009.

A complete listing of all projects identified for funding is attached to this release and is posted on the TDOT web site, www.tn.gov/tdot.

For more information on Tennessee’s transportation portion of the Recovery Act funds please visit www.tn.gov/tdot/recovery.