Gov. Bill Lee stopped by the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Chattanooga facility Friday to rally support for his infrastructure plans to address $30 billion in transportation needs for a highway system he says is lagging.
Lee’s plan is dubbed the Transportation Modernization Act of 2023, and his visits to TDOT facilities across the state in recent days are designed to gain momentum for it preceding the General Assembly’s first day in session Tuesday.
“The condition of our roads and the ability for people to drive from one place to another is a daily impact on their families,” Lee said Friday before an audience of state employees and media at a news conference at TDOT’s offices on Volkswagen Drive. “We’ve got some of the best roads in the country. We maintain our roads well, and we do a really good job when you see what happens when we have storms.”
Lee said Tennessee’s transportation issues are among the state’s greatest challenges, and Lee’s plan seeks to accommodate the state’s record growth, traffic congestion and address transportation needs in rural and urban communities across the state, he said.