- Tennessee Found No Red Flags In Cintra-Transurban Choice Lanes Bid
- Report Quantifies Benefits Of Tampa’s Selmon Expressway
- Driver Charged In Fatal Wrong-Way Crash In Tyler
- Subscription Information
This is a Subscribers-Only area. If you are a subscriber, please login. If not...
Become a Subscriber Today »
Tennessee Found No Red Flags In Cintra-Transurban Choice Lanes Bid
Tennessee Lookout examines the reputations of the consortium partners behind DriveTN, which TDOT selected as its private-sector partner for the $9.2 billion I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes project to improve connectivity between Nashville and Murfreesboro.
The article is published in advance of public hearings for the project, scheduled for September 8 and 9 in Nashville.
“Tennessee Department of Transportation officials picked a road-building group to take on the state’s first toll project despite a series of bumps the consortium’s companies hit over the past decade-plus, ranging from bankruptcies to price-gouging accusations.”
The article cites:
- A Virginia class-action lawsuit against Transurban, in which drivers claimed the company wrongfully charged them thousands of dollars in penalties.
- “Ferrovial’s toll-road affiliate Cintra Holding also hit a bump in 2006 when the joint venture Cintra-Macquarie took over the Indiana Toll Road, doubled rates, then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because of heavy debt, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation report.”
- A bankruptcy filing by a Cintra subsidiary that was chosen to build and operate the I-77 Express Lanes outside Charlotte, North Carolina.
- A $201 million payout by AECOM to settle charges of improper investor disclosures about traffic projections.
A TDOT spokesperson declined to address the companies’ legal and financial histories. But in a statement, she defended the selection. “‘This milestone reflects TDOT’s extensive planning, strong community engagement, and significant private sector interest. Our current focus is on verifying commitments, completing required reviews, and finalizing the agreement to ensure long-term benefits for Tennesseans.’”
Transportation Commissioner Will Reid said the proposal draws attention due to its “‘eye-popping’” numbers: DriveTN committed to paying the state $25 billion over the 50-year concession, including $1.5 billion up front. “‘But what is really critical about their proposal is it was also the best technically,’ he said.”
The article explains how the winning design avoids specific areas to minimize impacts on rights of way, incorporates park-and-ride facilities, and increases I-24 connectivity.
Report Quantifies Benefits Of Tampa’s Selmon Expressway
Commuters who use the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, Florida, save approximately 29 hours in drive time every year, according to a new economic impact study from the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research. The study also attributed $2.1 billion in regional gross domestic product to the expressway, Business Observer reports.
The researchers used transportation and economic modeling to examine what the effect of traffic and congestion on city streets would have been if the Selmon had never been built. They concluded that delays across the broader road network would be increased by 27 percent.
Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) CEO and executive director Greg Slater said, “‘Strategic transportation investments do more than move people. They help strengthen our economy, expand opportunity and support the continued growth of the communities we serve.’”
THEA has invested about $2 billion into the Selmon Expressway system to date. In 2021, the $230 million Selmon West Extension opened. Construction is now underway on the $362 million South Selmon Capacity Project to widen a 4.5-mile stretch with one additional lane in each direction.
Driver Charged In Fatal Wrong-Way Crash In Tyler
Kaci Harrison was charged with intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for her involvement in a fatal crash that killed Sally Macher and seriously injured her husband, David Macher. West Toll 49 in Tyler, Texas, was closed for several hours in both directions following the August 13 incident.
Harrison is being held at the Smith County Jail. The charges come with a combined $1 million bond, KYTX reports.
TRN notes, the Macher family is advocating for safety improvements on the roadway, which is operated by the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NETRMA).
Subscription Information
If you’re not already a Daily News Briefs subscriber and you want a complete picture of today’s news, click here or call 717-991-2823 for information. If you’re a newcomer to TollRoadsNews.com, try a free trial.