Tennessee’s Roads Will Be Busy This Weekend — And Not Even A Higher Gas Tax Is Going To Help

Nearly 800,000 Tennessee drivers are expected to hit the road this weekend — one of the busiest driving times of the year.

And not even an extra four cents in state taxes added to the price of a gallon of gasoline is going to stop them.

The IMPROVE Act, which increased Tennessee’s gas tax for the first time in a quarter-century, kicks in at gas stations July 1. That’s the traditional date new state laws go into effect.

This year, it’ll also be the start of a holiday weekend for many drivers in Tennessee.

And if you were hoping prices ticking up four cents a gallon would keep some people off the roads… No chance, says Tennessee Department of Transportation spokeswoman B.J. Doughty.

“The increase that we’re talking about, I think, will be minimally noticeable to most drivers,” she says, “because gas prices, as we all know, can change twenty, thirty cents from one side of town to another.”

AAA says regular-grade gasoline in Tennessee sells for just
a shade over $2 a gallon — cheaper than a year ago.

The price would have to be about a dollar more per gallon to have any real impact on holiday traffic, Doughty says.

In anticipation of more drivers on the road, TDOT will suspend construction-related lane closures through the Fourth of July. But speeding through construction zones will still result in higher fines. 

And after your next fill-up, you’ll have about 40 cents less in your pocket to pay them.