NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely and officials from Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana and the U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that Interstate 65 is America's first biofuels corridor.

Related: Watch This Story | Map: America's First Biofuels Corridor (pdf)

From the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, Americans now have the opportunity to travel the entire 886 miles of I-65 by using alternative fuels.

"Tennessee has already been working to make these clean, renewable biofuels available to more motorists traveling in our state," said Gov. Phil Bredesen. "I'm pleased to see us join forces with other states to make Interstate 65 the first corridor in the country to make biofuels widely available."

To mark the event, Tri-Star Energy Daily's retail fueling station on Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville offered drivers E85 fuel for $1.85 and B20 for $3.20. Another station that is part of the new I-65 corridor is a Daily's Shell in Green Hills.

Currently 40 retail stations in Tennessee offer E85 and/or B20 for a total of 22 E85 pumps and 27 B20 pumps. Several more are slated to open soon, TDOT said in a press release.

"In this environment, it is imperative that the state look at other energy options, such as biofuels. Today, through the governor's BioTenn Initiative and grants like these from the U.S. Department of Energy, we are well on our way toward making biofuels a real option for Tennesseans," said Nicely.

E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, may only be used in a flex fuel vehicle. These vehicles are designed to use a range of fuels from gasoline to E85.

B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel, may be used in any diesel engine with no modification. Ethanol is a distilled alcohol-based fuel derived from grain crops such as corn or biomass.

Biodiesel is produced from plants that produce oil, such as soybeans, as well as animal fats and restaurant grease.

Related Links:

National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition

BioTenn