NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Questions surrounding Tennessee’s multi-billion-dollar plan to build optional toll lanes are drawing renewed scrutiny from Democrats, with one lawmaker now asking the state comptroller to investigate potential conflicts of interest tied to the project after the attorney general said he didn’t have the power to look into the matter.
The state’s “Choice Lanes” program would add optional toll lanes along some of Tennessee’s most congested highways, which drivers could pay to use for a potentially faster commute. The first project is planned for Interstate 24 between Nashville and Murfreesboro.
Gov. Bill Lee has championed the initiative, calling it “an incredible opportunity for the state of Tennessee.”
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The state has partnered with the private coalition, DriveTN, which has agreed to pay the estimated $9.2 billion construction cost of the Choice Lanes network. For the next 50 years, the private partners will operate the toll lanes and collect dynamically priced toll revenue to recoup their investment…