TDOT warns about unpaid toll road charges scam
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Have you received a text message that claims you have unpaid toll road charges? It's a nationwide scam that has been targeting Tennesseans.
'Really, [we] want people to make sure people understand as of right now, there are no toll lanes, toll roads, anything in Tennessee that they would need to be paying a bill on,' Rebekah Hammonds with the Tennessee Department of Transportation said.
📧 Have breaking news come to you: →
That's the message TDOT has shared on social media after text message scams were sent nationwide — including to some employees at News 2.
'I received the text a few weeks ago; people even on our team even received it maybe a couple months ago. . .I would say no one is safe,' Hammonds said.
While as of publication there are no toll lanes or roads in Tennessee, in coming years, 'choice lanes' have been planned along Insterstate 24 between Murfreesboro and Nashville. The lanes will provide drivers with a faster lane if they pay a voluntary fee.
'I don't think it's new news to anyone that the I-24 corridor from Nashville to Murfreesboro is one of, if not the most, congested corridor in our state,' Hammonds said.
Hammonds said everyone should notice a difference when it comes to traffic, whether you decide to drive in the choice lanes or not.
'What we want to make very clear, though, it is not a toll road. That may seem like we are splitting hairs, but we're really not because a toll road is an entire road that you cannot cross or use without paying a fee.'
However, before TDOT continues onto the next phase of the proposed project, they hope to hear from the public this summer.
⏩
'This is going to be a really important phase of the project and critical for the public to give us their feedback on the impact, environmentally, that this project could have' Hammonds said.
And once toll lanes are in place, she hopes scams like this don't become more ramped.
'That is not the way that Choice Lanes would operate. That collections system would not operate in that way,' Hammonds said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Deputy Governor, TDOT Commissioner steps away after seven years
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Butch Eley is stepping away from his role in the third quarter of 2025 after nearly seven years of leadership. Eley has been a key figure in advancing infrastructure, financial stewardship and government modernization across the state, according to a news release. 'It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Governor Lee and the people of Tennessee,' Eley said in the release. 'From building long-term systems that better serve Tennesseans, to navigating some of our state's toughest challenges, I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished. This moment marks not an end, but a pause—a chance to ensure a smooth transition and reflect on how I can continue to make an impact in new ways.' Local agencies warn of DMV text message scam Eley described the decision as a transition to step away from government to spend more time with his family. Under his role as TDOT Commissioner, Eley reportedly launched the following initiatives: Introduced Tennessee's first Public-Private Partnership (P3) initiatives to modernize project delivery and increase innovation by engaging the private sector. Pioneered alternative delivery models to improve project speed and efficiency, improving service for taxpayers. Created the first-ever fiscally constrained 10-year project plan, bringing unprecedented transparency and accountability to state transportation investments. Secured dedicated, recurring General Fund dollars for transportation for the first time in TDOT's history to ensure an additional and sustainable revenue stream to help meet Tennessee's infrastructure needs in the decades to come. Led the single-largest infrastructure investment in state history with the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi replacement project. Commenced the state's first performance-based maintenance contract, engaging the private sector with outlined metrics to establish clear and objective standards for how our roads should look to motorists. 'Since I decided to run for Governor, Deputy Governor Eley has served as one of my most trusted advisors,' Governor Bill Lee said in the release. 'I turned to him to manage our state departments as chief operating officer after my first inauguration, and then to steward our state's finances as finance and administration commissioner during the worst global economic decline since the Great Depression. In my second term, Butch stepped into a new role to prepare Tennessee's infrastructure for generations to come, ensuring we continue to accommodate our state's extraordinary economic growth. I've entrusted him with some of the most difficult challenges facing our state, and he has consistently overachieved. Butch has served the people of Tennessee with the highest level of excellence, and God has blessed Maria and me with a lifelong friend. I thank him for his unwavering leadership.' 'None of this work has been mine alone,' Eley said in the release. 'It's been the result of an extraordinary Governor, supportive and engaged teams, and a shared commitment to making government work better for the people we serve. Leadership is about stewardship—and I believe the systems, improvements, and processes we've built are strong enough to thrive for years to come.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Deadly single-vehicle crash temporarily shut down Interstate 840 West in Rutherford County
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A deadly single-vehicle crash temporarily shut down Interstate 840 Wednesday afternoon. The Tennessee Department of Transportation had an incident marker on the SmartWay map for a single-vehicle crash at mile marker 64.8 on Interstate 840 reported at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday. ⏩ Erin Zeigler, a regional communications officer for TDOT, posted to social media that all westbound lanes of Interstate 840 were closed near mile marker 65 — Exit 65 — due to a single-vehicle crash. TDOT also told News 2 that a helicopter was en route to the scene. Minutes later, Zeigler added that westbound drivers were moving along the right shoulder. All lanes were reopened by 5:23 p.m. News 2 has reached out to the Tennessee Highway Patrol for a preliminary crash report, but a spokesperson confirmed that the crash was deadly. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Tennessee's electric vehicle industry could stall under ‘Big Beautiful Bill' tax credit cuts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee's booming electric vehicle industry could be in limbo if the U.S. Senate passes President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' as is. The proposal includes cuts to federal tax credits for EV owners and manufacturers. Tennessee is a leader in the EV industry in the Southeast, with three EV manufacturing plants and multiple battery plants under construction. The industry has created more than 16,300 jobs and drawn $17.6 billion in investments in the Volunteer State, according to the Electrification Coalition. Federal tax credits for EV owners and manufacturers, which were a part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, including an up to $7,500 tax credit for many who purchase an EV, have incentivized owning and building EVs, aiding the industry's rapid growth, Ben Prochazka, the executive director of the Electrification Coalition told News 2. 'These credits were designed to help make sure that the U.S. is really a leader and can catch up to other countries that have really invested a lot more in the policy or just direct investments that can support the cultivation of that industry,' Prochazka said. However, those federal tax credits could be cut if the Senate passes the budget bill as is. President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' includes cuts to all tax credits regarding EVs. Prochazka argued the cuts would put EV jobs and investments at risk. 'What the inflation reduction act credits did was it was intended to really unlock huge private sector investments, and that happened, but now those private sector investments are a question mark because companies that were planning to build battery manufacturing facilities and or vehicle manufacturing are slowing down and in some cases canceling those plans altogether,' Prochazka said. 'If we don't make these investments, we have the potential to fall way behind and lose vast numbers of automotive sector jobs, battery jobs, infrastructure jobs, and those are all really critical to states like Tennessee, but also across the country.' ⏩ President Trump has long spoken against the federal tax credits for EVs and has been vocal about his support for the traditional automotive industry and its workers. Republicans hope to send the bill to the President's desk by July 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
