Tennessee Department of Transportation


The Tennessee Department of Transportation is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. The mission of TDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for people, goods, and services that supports economic prosperity in Tennessee.

Major responsibilities

The major duties and responsibilities of TDOT are to:
Prior to 1915, the state had no central authority governing construction and maintenance of roads. The governor, legislature, other road associations, and local governments all attempted to serve these tasks, leading to a lack of planning and management. In 1915, a State Highway Commission was created to organize transportation services. The original commission consisted of six volunteer members. As responsibilities of the commission grew, this became inadequate, and in 1919 the commission was replaced with three paid members. By 1922, roads in Tennessee were behind surrounding states. Governor Austin Peay created a new Department of Highways and Public Works and appointed J.G. Creveling, Jr. as the single commissioner. Peavy also implemented a tax of two cents per gallon to fund the new department. The collapse of the banking system in 1930 resulted in significant losses for the state and led to an inability to fund the department. All of its workers had to be released. However, in 1933 the New Deal projects gave $11 million of federal money for highway projects. Diversion of federal funds and military enlistment of personnel during World War II again crippled the department. Following the war, the construction of the new Interstate Highway system brought a massive boom to the department. In 1972, due to its expanding role in all modes of transportation, it was renamed the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In the 1980s, TDOT began the $3.3 billion Better Roads Program to clear a backlog of projects and improve aging roads. In 1989, the gas tax was set at 21.40 cents per gallon to help fund this project. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, the department began working on ways to improve efficiency and involve communities.

Organization

TDOT is headed by a single commissioner who is appointed by the governor. The leadership level also includes the Deputy Commissioner, and leaders for legal, aeronautics, community relations, and legislation. Three bureaus exist under this level. Most administrative offices operate from the TDOT headquarters in downtown Nashville, the state's capital city. There are also four regional offices across the state. Each region is further divided into districts which are then subdivided into county facilities.
The following table lists the regions, district offices, maintenance and construction offices for each region, and counties served.
RegionDistrictDistrict OfficeMaintenance OfficesConstruction OfficesCounties
1 17Johnson CityJohnson City, MorristownJohnson City, Morristown, ElizabethtonCarter, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington
1 18KnoxvilleKnoxville, NewportKnoxville, NewportAnderson, Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier, Union
1 19HarrimanHarriman, LaFolletteHarriman, LaFollette, MaryvilleBlount, Campbell, Claiborne, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott
2 27CookevilleCookeville, CrossvilleCookeville, Crossville, LivingstonClay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, White
2 28TullahomaTullahoma, DunlapTullahoma, Dunlap, McMinnvilleBledsoe, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
2 29ChattanoogaChattanooga, BentonChattanooga, ClevelandBradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea
3 37NashvilleNashville, GallatinNashville, GallatinDavidson, Macon, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson, Williamson
3 38McEwenMcEwen, ClarksvilleMcEwen, Clarksville, ColumbiaCheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart
3 39BelfastBelfast, LawrenceburgBelfast, Lawrenceburg, MurfreesboroBedford, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Perry, Rutherford, Wayne
4 47McKenzieMcKenzie, NewbernMcKenzie, Newbern, TrentonBenton, Carroll, Decatur, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Weakley
4 48JacksonJackson, Bethel SpringsJackson, Bethel Springs, BrownsvilleChester, Crockett, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McNairy
4 49ArlingtonArlingtonMemphis, CovingtonFayette, Lauderdale, Tipton, Shelby

Bureau of Administration

This bureau serves the administrative tasks of the department. It is further divided into the following divisions:
This bureau studies environmental effects and ensures compliance with environmental policy. It also collects and analyses data to develop long range project and safety plans. It contains the following divisions:
This bureau designs, constructs, and maintains the state's highway system. This Bureau is directed by the Chief Engineer. The majority of the bureau is split into two categories: Design and Operations, with each overseen by an Assistant Chief Engineer.
The Assistant Chief Engineer of Design oversees the following divisions:
The Assistant Chief Engineer of Operations is responsible for overseeing the four regional offices. They also oversee the following divisions:
Additionally there are three independent divisions that report directly to the Chief Engineer:
TDOT reports the following as Tennessee's transportation system:

Highway system

Funding for the state transportation system in Tennessee comes from a fund that is separate from the state's general fund which operates most of the other state agencies in Tennessee. Transportation revenues come from both federal transportation monies and from state funding resources. Those state funds come from a combination of dollars collected from gas and diesel tax revenues, titling and registration fees. Tennessee operates on a "pay as you go" system by using available revenues resulting in no debt service. Tennessee is one of three states in the nation that does not finance transportation through bonding. Critics of this mechanism claim that it inhibits the ability of the department to sufficiently complete necessary infrastructure improvements.

Controversy

In October 2016, TDOT removed the Lindsay X-LITE guardrail endcap from its list of approved devices due to concerns over safety when the device was hit at high speeds. A month later, a driver was killed in a collision with one such barrier. The victim's family subsequently received a $3,000 bill from TDOT for damage caused to the guardrail. TDOT later apologized for the bill and called it a processing error. Outrage remained that TDOT was not working to remove a device they knew to be unsafe. In response, TDOT began bidding for a contract to remove X-LITE endcaps from roads with a speed limit higher than 45 miles per hour. At least three other deaths within a 15-month period were also caused by this type of device.

Leadership History

The leaders of the department and its preceding organizations have been:

Six-commissioner structure, 1915–1919

Ex-officio members: Tom C. Rye, Governor; A.H. Purdue, State Geologist; Charles, E. Ferris, Dean of Engineering, University of Tennessee
Appointed: Authur Crownover, Charles W. Williams, William H. Crox

Three-commissioner structure, 1919–1923

W.P. Moore, W.W. House, W.T. Testerman

Single-commissioner structure, 1923–present