Nashville, TN – Tennessee needs at least $77.7 billion worth of public infrastructure improvements during the five-year period of July 2023 to June 2028—a $9.5 billion (14%) increase from the year before—according to a new report by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR).
Transportation and Utilities infrastructure needs increased by $3.8 billion—40% of the overall increase in the total estimated cost of the inventory. Three billion, one hundred million dollars is needed for new projects and $3.7 billion of cost increases in existing projects. The increase was largely offset by $1.8 billion in completed projects, $444 million in cost decreases, and $191 million in canceled projects.
The $2.2 billion increase in needed improvements for Education also contributed to the overall increase in the total estimated cost of the inventory. The increase was primarily driven by a $895 million increase in school renovations—most of the increase was needed in Metro Nashville Public Schools ($668 million), followed by Wilson County ($106 million) and Rutherford County ($93 million).
Health, Safety, and Welfare infrastructure needs increased by $1.4 billion—15% of the overall increase in the total estimated cost of the inventory. Water and wastewater ($484 million) and law enforcement ($475 million) comprise 66% of the increase in the category. Changes to existing projects drove the increase in water and wastewater needs by $414 million, including a $68 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Blount County and a $38 million water tank in Sumner County. New law enforcement needs also contributed, with two major jail construction projects: $70 million in DeKalb County and $30 million in Humphreys County.
Needs also increased for General Government ($1.2 billion), Recreation and Culture ($878 million), and Economic Development ($215 thousand).
The percentage of funded infrastructure needs reported at the time the inventory was conducted increased by 1% from 2022 to 2023. Funding is often not identified until a project reaches the construction stage. This year’s inventory shows $19.0 billion in funding that has been identified for the $55.5 billion in needs for which funding information is available. Improvements needed at existing schools and those drawn from capital budget requests submitted by state agencies do not include funding information.
Total estimated costs for current infrastructure needs fall into six general categories:
- Transportation and Utilities: $39.1 billion
- Education: $18.9 billion
- Health, Safety, and Welfare: $12.4 billion
- Recreation and Culture: $3.4 billion
- General Government: $3.7 billion
- Economic Development: $239.4 million
The report includes one-page summaries for each county, which list the estimated cost for all types of needed infrastructure in each county by stage of development, highlight the top three types of infrastructure improvements needed in each county based on the total estimated cost, and provide comparisons of the infrastructure needed at public school systems to student enrollment.
The full report is available on TACIR’s website at https://www.tn.gov/tacir/infrastructure/infrastructure-reports-/building-tennessee-s-tomorrow-2023-2028.html.
For more information, contact Tyler Carpenter, Research Manager, at Tyler.Carpenter@tn.gov or 615.253.4095.
TACIR Mission
TACIR’s mission is to serve as a forum for the discussion and resolution of intergovernmental problems, provide high-quality research support to state and local government officials in order to improve the overall quality of government in Tennessee, and to improve the effectiveness of the intergovernmental system to better serve the citizens of Tennessee.