$1,150,000 awarded for regional infrastructure accelerator program to midsouth development district

The Department of Transportation Immediate Office of the Secretary awarded Midsouth Development District a $1.15 million cooperative agreement on July 27, 2026, to conduct regional infrastructure planning and project pipeline assessments for the Blue Oval City corridor in Tennessee. The award funds activities including pipeline project assessments, financial planning and business model development, preliminary engineering and design assistance, and final reporting and evaluation. Midsouth will deliver a work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables, and demonstrate compliance with 2 CFR 200. Performance extends through July 26, 2029, and takes place in Tennessee. The beneficiaries are Blue Oval City commuters. This award sits within the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program (CFDA 20.223), which provides flexible financing for surface transportation projects of national or regional significance; however, the cooperative agreement structure here funds planning and design assistance rather than direct credit financing. Midsouth Development District, a Memphis-based tax-exempt community development corporation, operates as an EDA-designated economic development district serving a four-county region in western Tennessee (Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton counties).

Activities to be performed: conduct assessments of the pipeline of projects, financial planning & business model, preliminary engineering and design assistance and final report & evaluation. Deliverables/expected outcomes: work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables and 2 CFR 200 compliance. Beneficiaries: blue oval city commuters.