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:- plan, build, and maintain the state-owned highway and Interstate system of over ;
- administer funding and provide technical assistance in the planning and construction of state and federal aid road programs for cities and counties;
- provide incident management on Tennessee's Interstate system through TDOT SmartWay, an intelligent transportation network of cameras and dynamic message signs;
- staff transportation management centers in the four largest urban cities in Tennessee;
- provide motorist information;
- construct and maintain 19 rest area facilities and 17 welcome centers;
- administer program for control of outdoor advertising adjacent to Interstate and state highways;
- issue and administer special permits for movement of overweight and over-dimensional vehicles;
- prepare and distribute city, county, and state road maps, aeronautical charts, and airport directories;
- promote safe driving behaviors on highways;
- provide management, technical and financial assistance, and supervision to public, private, and nonprofit public transportation agencies in the state
- administer funding and assistance in location, design, construction, and maintenance of the state's 80 public airports;
- support improvements in Tennessee's railroads and rail service;
- inspect over 19,000 bridges, 80 public airports, and all of the state's railroads;
- maintain state park roads;
- operate Reelfoot Airpark and ferry operations;
- respond to initiatives of the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission;
- provide aerial photography and mapping services to all state agencies;
- provide aircraft for state executive transportation and economic development recruiting;
- administer highway beautification programs;
- provide grants to all Tennessee counties for litter abatement and litter prevention education; and
- provide cycling trails that connect or go through state parks and natural areas.
History
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.
Bureau of Administration
This bureau serves the administrative tasks of the department. It is further divided into the following divisions:- Division of Central Services
- Division of Finance
- Division of Internal Audit
- Division of Human Resources
- Division of Strategic Planning
- Division of Information Technology
Bureau of Environment and Planning
- Environmental Division
- Long Range Planning Division
- Freight and Logistics Division
Bureau of Engineering
The Assistant Chief Engineer of Design oversees the following divisions:
- Roadway Design Division
- Right of Way Division
- Structures Division
- Traffic Operations Division
- Materials and Tests Division
- Construction Division
- Maintenance Division
- Bid Analysis and Estimating Office
- Program Administration and Development Division
- Strategic Transport Investments Division
Transportation System
Highway system
- Bridges: 19,500, including 8,150 state owned bridges and 11,419 locally owned bridges
- Interstates:
- 19 Interstate rest areas
- 17 Interstate and U.S. Route welcome centers
- 9 truck weigh stations
- State highways,
- Total highways,
Airport system
- 74 general aviation
- 5 commercial
- 142 heliports
Rail system
- 18 shortline railroads on of rail
- 6 major rail lines on of rail
Transit system
- 28 transit systems serving all 95 counties
Waterways
- of main channel navigable waterways
- 2 ferries
Bicycle and pedestrian system
- of greenways, sidewalks, and trails
- 9 bicycle trails on including a single across state trail totaling
- of greenways, sidewalks, and trails
Funding
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 TennesseeAppointed: Authur Crownover, Charles W. Williams, William H. Crox
Three-commissioner structure, 1919–1923
W.P. Moore, W.W. House, W.T. TestermanSingle-commissioner structure, 1923–present
- J.G. Creveling, Jr., January 1923 – October 21, 1925
- C.N. Bass, October 21, 1925 – February 16, 1928
- Harry S. Berry, February 16, 1928 – February 27, 1929
- R. H. Baker, February 27, 1929 – January 17, 1933
- F.W. Webster, January 17, 1933 – December 11, 1934
- H.S. Walters, December 11, 1934 – September 20, 1935
- Briggs Smith, September 20, 1935 – January 18, 1937
- M.O. Allen, January 18, 1937 – January 11, 1939
- C.W. Phillips, January 11, 1939 – January 16, 1949
- E.W. Eggleston, January 16, 1949 – August 10, 1950
- Charles Wayland, August 10, 1950 – September 1, 1951
- C.W. Bond, September 1, 1951 – September 18, 1952
- Herbert A. McKee, September 18, 1952 – January 15, 1953
- W.M Leech, January 15, 1953 – November 15, 1958
- Herbert M. Bates, November 15, 1958 – January 19, 1959
- D.W. Moulton, January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963
- David M. Pack, January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967
- E.W. Speight, January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971
- Robert F. Smith, January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975
- Eddie L. Shaw, January 18, 1975 – January 20, 1979
- William B. Sansom, January 20, 1979 – June 30, 1981
- Robert E. Farris, July 1, 1981 – October 31, 1985
- Dale R. Kelley, November 1, 1985 – January 17, 1987
- Jimmy M. Evans, January 17, 1987 December 7, 1992
- Carl Johnson, December 28, 1992 – October 21, 1994
- Carl Wood, October 21, 1994 – January 21, 1995
- J. Bruce Saltsman, January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003
- Gerald F. Nicely, January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011
- John Schroer, January 15, 2011 – January 16, 2019
- Clay Bright, January 16, 2019 – present