TDOT Breaks Ground on $62M I-40 Bridge Replacements at 8th Avenue as DriveTN Finalizes I-24 Choice Lanes P3

TDOT Mobilizes Heavy Equipment for Generational I-40 Bridge Overhauls

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Launching a vital upgrade across Davidson County's primary regional freight corridor, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) initiated physical construction on October 5, 2026, to replace four aging interstate bridges carrying Interstate 40 over 8th Avenue South. The $62 million capital project permanently replaces structurally deficient concrete bridge spans that carry more than 140,000 passenger vehicles and commercial haulers daily through downtown Nashville.

Civil engineering contractors established perimeter staging and scheduled phased night lane closures along 8th Avenue to facilitate high-capacity hydraulic drilling for new subterranean abutments. TDOT engineers confirmed that lane restriping, rapid-cure concrete deck placements, and accelerated steel beam staging will minimize rush-hour delays through the estimated project completion in late autumn 2027.

DriveTN Consortium Commercializes Landmark 26-Mile I-24 Choice Lanes Project

Concurrently, the DriveTN Consortium—anchored by global infrastructure developers Transurban and Ferrovial—achieved formal commercial close on the I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes project. Representing Tennessee's inaugural transportation public-private partnership (P3) and the largest single roadway capital commitment in state history, the 26-mile initiative will construct dynamic dynamically priced express lanes linking Nashville, Antioch, and Murfreesboro to resolve chronic commuter congestion.

State transportation commissioners emphasized that Choice Lanes introduce guaranteed travel times for regional buses, carpools, and commercial logistics without consuming traditional municipal tax revenues, directing toll proceeds directly into corridor operations and safety maintenance.

Mayor O'Connell and WeGo Advance Choose How You Move Implementation

Across the city, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and WeGo Public Transit reviewed ongoing engineering rollouts under the voter-approved 'Choose How You Move' transit plan. Technical teams with HDR completed intermediate design documents for the Nolensville Pike All-Access Corridor, while public comment sessions remained open through October 16 for Winter 2027 regional bus expansions in Antioch.

Civic leaders praised the dual momentum in regional highways and multimodal city transit, emphasizing that unified investments preserve Nashville's economic dynamism while establishing resilient transit options for Middle Tennessee.