The Murfreesboro City Council approved the reallocation of proceeds from TDOT’s Statewide Partnership Program on Thursday, August 22, 2024, for the potential widening of Old Fort Parkway. This roadway expansion is part of the City’s 2040 Major Transportation Plan.
“With continued growth and traffic volumes flowing east and west on Old Fort Parkway, reallocating City funds from MED proceeds to a project TDOT has placed as a higher priority makes sense,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “Increasing participation of local funding on this roadway improvement increases the City’s chance to motivate TDOT to move forward with a very important roadway expansion.”
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TDOT’s 2024 Statewide Partnership Program aids local communities in optimizing funding for essential transportation investments. Communities must commit funds for future roadway projects in collaboration with the State of Tennessee.
Murfreesboro competes with many other communities for roadway project funding. Allocating funding to TDOT-recognized high-priority projects enhances the City’s competitive advantage and increases the likelihood of receiving state funding. Conversely, allocating funds to projects not high on TDOT’s priority list, such as Lascassas Highway, would not be an effective use of City funds.
City engineers acknowledge that improvements to Old Fort Parkway will boost capacity and help alleviate traffic congestion. The MED Proceed Distribution, initially approved by the City Council in 2023, allocated $13.3 million for Lascassas Highway, $9.2 million for Memorial Blvd., and $6.6 million for Old Fort Parkway. Under the reallocation approved on August 22, 2024, the Old Fort Parkway project will receive an increased $18.6 million in local funding, making the total amended request $25.2 million.
The purpose of the MED proceeds, obtained from the sale of the City’s utility, is to fund a portion of the total project costs for necessary transportation infrastructure.
For more city news, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov.
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