Diane Black proposes double-stacked interstates, I-840 extension after Nashville transit defeat

Republican gubernatorial candidate Diane Black — who called Nashville’s failed transit plan a “big government boondoggle” — on Tuesday proposed double-stacked interstates through downtown Nashville and the completion of Interstate 840 as a part off her own plan to combat Middle Tennessee traffic.

Black, a conservative Republican representing the state’s 6th congressional district, unveiled a new infrastructure and traffic congestion proposal one week after Nashvillians voted by an overwhelming 64 percent to 36 percent via public referendum to defeat a $5.4 billion plan anchored by light rail.

Black, who had warned the transit plan voters rejected would have "short-circuited" the state's economy, doubles down on interstates and roads in her proposal and steers clear of investments in public mass transit.

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A campaign spokesman said Black would work to implement her plan if elected. She did not identify an estimated price tag for her vision, but the spokesman said her set of proposals "could be done with a combination of federal, state and local funding over time."

“The real solution is completing existing road projects and funneling commercial interstate traffic outside of commuter areas,” Black said. “We also need to recognize that this is not just a Davidson County problem. This is a regional problem, and we need all the counties in the area to come together and work on a regional master plan.”

Black is running against Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd, former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell and Franklin businessman Bill Lee in the Republican primary. The primary is in August ahead of the general election in November.

Components of Black’s plan are:

► Double-stack the interstates (65, 40 and 24) as they pass through the downtown corridor. (This was also pitched in a counter-proposal put forward by Nashville Councilman Robert Swope.)

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► Complete Interstate 840 north of Nashville to allow commercial traffic to avoid downtown Nashville.

► Add a third lane to interstates in some rural areas.

► Convene Middle Tennessee counties to develop a master plan for the region. (Nashville’s transit plan was based on the nMotion plan, which was adopted by the Regional Transportation Authority, which includes mayors from the region’s mayors.)

► Prioritize road projects and “go all in to finish them instead of having dozens and dozens of projects that take too long to complete.”

► Provide incentives for faster completion of all road projects. She said the state currently penalizes for projects that take too long to complete.

► Rethink design and architecture of on- and off-ramps

► Identify engineering services to be do in-house at the Tennessee Department of Transportation and other services to be bid out privately

► Back President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan and work with the Trump administration to complete infrastructure projects in Tennessee.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.