South Carolina DOT gets funding to support 10-year infrastructure plan

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) released a decade-long plan designed to rebuild decayed roads and replace structurally deficient bridges across the state. The South Carolina General Assembly passed the Roads Bill, which went into effect on July 1, 2017, allowing SCDOT to launch their plan.

Under the Roads Bill, the state’s gas tax will increase for the first time since 1987. The increase, which was effective July 1, 2017, was 2 cents per gallon and will increase by another 2 cents each year for a total of 12 cents at the end of a six-year period.

In addition, the vehicle sales tax was raised along with other vehicle-related fees.

SCDOT estimates the Roads Bill funding will add $600 million per year initially, reaching $800 million per year by 2023. Funding will focus on resurfacing, widening interstate highways, replacing bridges and increasing rural-road safety.

SCDOT considers the hallmark of the 10-year plan to be the rebuilding and resurfacing of the roads in the state. State deputy secretary for finance Brian Keys said a three-decade shortfall in resources has led to crumbling roads all over the state. He added, “The poor pavement conditions and countless potholes are spread throughout the system on our interstates, the major routes that connect our cities and towns and our secondary roads. These conditions did not occur overnight, nor will rebuilding the highway system be accomplished overnight. But the additional funding allows SCDOT to turn the corner and start the repairs.”

“The new funding will trickle into the Maintenance Trust Fund at first,” South Carolina secretary of transportation Christy Hall said. “But as funding increases in small increments over the next six years, South Carolinians and our visitors can expect to see more road and bridge construction all over the state with each passing year.”

SCDOT invites the public to use the web-based Project Viewer. The Project Viewer is an interactive map that allows the user to follow any SCDOT project or an SCDOT administered project in any state of development and construction. The Project Viewer is one of six major icons on the SCDOT website, www.scdot.org.

For more information about SCDOT’s 10-Year Plan to Rebuild South Carolina’s Highway System, visit http://bit.ly/2sXkroz.