Blue Oval City Connector (Segment G1) — West Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) advanced the Blue Oval City Connector project to support regional transportation infrastructure associated with Ford Motor Company’s Blue Oval City development in West Tennessee. Segment G1 includes the construction of a new interchange on Interstate 40 near mile marker 39, approximately two miles of the SR-194 extension north of I-40, and the east-west connector roadway linking the Blue Oval City site to State Route 222. The new SR-194 extension will provide a four-lane, median-divided roadway between the I-40 interchange and the Blue Oval City Connector interchange, improving regional mobility and supporting economic development in the area.

TDOT retained ICE Teams to provide independent cost estimating, construction scheduling, constructability reviews, and risk management services under the CM/GC delivery method. ICE Teams supported project development by preparing production-based estimates, evaluating contractor pricing, reviewing construction phasing and logistics, and facilitating risk identification to improve cost confidence during early design progression.

ICE Teams played an active role in supporting TDOT through cost reconciliation and schedule development during early project scoping. The team led negotiations with the contractor to address conservative assumptions related to traffic control and construction logistics, successfully reducing a 20% variance between estimates to within 5% through a series of collaborative workshops. ICE Teams also optimized the construction schedule to meet critical milestone requirements tied to the opening and operation of the Blue Oval City facility. Through these efforts, ICE Teams helped TDOT improve cost confidence, maintain schedule alignment with the broader development program, and advance this major economic development project with reduced risk.