The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Modernization Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Representatives Heather Crawford (R-Horry) and Shannon Erickson (R-Beaufort), held a meeting in Myrtle Beach on September 23. This meeting provided an opportunity to hear from the SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT), SCDOT, and for members of the public to provide testimony.

Tourism and the Transportation Connection

Duane Parrish, Director of PRT, emphasized the central role of tourism in South Carolina’s economy. Tourism is a major industry for South Carolina, with a $30 billion economic impact, generating $1.8 billion in state and local taxes annually. Moreover, tourism relies on roads. Of all visitors coming to South Carolina, 89% travel here by car. Over two-thirds of the state’s annual visitors are from neighboring states within a 350-mile radius.

Local Business and Infrastructure Needs

Jimmy Gray, President of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of reliable infrastructure for both residents and visitors. He noted that permitting reforms and greater efficiency could accelerate critical projects, and when it comes to resources, local funding remains essential to meeting needs. He highlighted the $6 billion RIDE program (the largest local transportation referendum in South Carolina history) which voters approved in 2024 to support ongoing infrastructure improvements across Horry County.

Calls for Statewide Support of Local Programs

Horry County administrators stressed the importance of local revenues for infrastructure improvements. Assistant County Administrator David Gilreath highlighted the success of the RIDE program, noting that it also supports state-owned roads. He proposed that the legislature establish a statewide matching program, arguing it would incentivize local governments to increase infrastructure investments while delivering benefits across South Carolina.

County Administrator Barry Spivey echoed these points, calling for stronger backing for urban and rural projects funded through Councils of Governments (COGs) and County Transportation Committees (CTCs). He cautioned that while local leaders are doing all they can to keep up with growth, existing funding is insufficient to maintain current roads, much less build new ones. Long-term planning, he said, is critical to keeping up with demand.

Advocacy for Multimodal Transportation

Several representatives from advocacy groups pressed the committee to prioritize bike and pedestrian improvements and adopt complete street policies. Expanding mass transit also drew support, with speakers stressing the need for reliable services to connect residents to jobs, healthcare, and other essential services.

Next Steps

The Myrtle Beach hearing was the third in a series of statewide meetings the SCDOT Modernization Committee is holding to gather input from stakeholders and the public. Over the coming month, additional hearings will take place in other communities as lawmakers continue exploring ways to strengthen transportation infrastructure and improve SCDOT operations.

The SCDOT Modernization Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Representatives Heather Crawford (R-Horry) and Shannon Erickson (R-Beaufort), met in Greenville on Wednesday to hear from the SC Department of Public Safety (DPS) and SCDOT, and to receive public testimony.

The committee received an overview of the SC Highway Patrol and heard from Emily Thomas with the SC Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, which works with state and local law enforcement agencies to develop and implement highway safety programs.

The office also owns the state’s traffic records system, which includes data on traffic collisions. Based on data from 2020 to 2024, lane departures and speeding remain the top contributors to crashes statewide.

Members of the committee requested that DPS follow up with a comparison of how South Carolina stacks up to other states in terms of traffic collisions and contributing factors.

Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell provided brief remarks to the committee regarding projects in the Greenville area, noting that the buying power of transportation dollars continues to decline. The proof is in the state’s pavement program.  Over the past year alone, the state lost two miles of paving. The same penny that paved 114 miles in 2017, paved 87 miles in FY24-25 (down from 89 miles in FY23-24).

Public testimony at the meeting offered a glimpse into industry perspectives, ranging from those who actually build and repair roads to those who supply the materials necessary to make these improvements.

Casey Schwager, President of King Asphalt, offered a business perspective on inflation, congestion, and industry capacity.

“The highways and bridges that our fathers and grandfathers built cannot stand for 60-100 years without being rebuilt and replaced. Design life, weight of vehicles, and volume of vehicles have all changed,” he said.

Schwager went on to note the state was able to ramp up and start catching up on repairs. However, he noted that while progress has been made, based on the size of the state system, “at this rate it will take us 59 years to cycle through all of our roads,” he said.

He expressed concerns about the current funding levels’ inability to meet needs, noting that businesses must have the ability to plan and invest. The loss of buying power of the state’s gas tax creates uncertainties for long-term planning.

Jessica Palmer, Executive Director of the SC Aggregates Association (SCAA), educated the committee on the role that aggregate materials play, not just as the foundation of infrastructure projects, but also the economic impacts of these businesses statewide.

Several other advocacy groups and representatives from local programs testified in support of mass transit, reiterating the role these services play in communities, especially in facilitating access to employment and healthcare services. Additional funding and improving procurement processes for vehicles were among the items suggested to the committee for consideration.

The committee plans to meet again on September 23 in Myrtle Beach.

At the July meeting of the SCDOT Commission on July 17, Commissioners approved funding allocations and project lists for the state’s 2025 bridge program.

A total of 159 bridges (79 bridges on interstate and primary routes/80 bridges on the secondary routes) were approved for inclusion in the program. Click here to view the project list. 

A total of $439 million will be invested in the state’s bridge program in FY25-26.  This includes $239 million in federal funding and the one-time budget allocation of $200 million from the legislature. SCDOT will also continue to seek federal discretionary grant funding opportunities for bridge improvements.

The budget allocation from the legislature essentially doubles the investment for bridges.  These dollars are critical, given the growing number of aging structures throughout the state. Currently, more than 2,400 bridges are 60 years old, or older. At the current rate of repair, this number is expected to increase to 3,900 over the next decade.

Rob Perry, Deputy Secretary for Engineering, provided an overview of the criteria used to prioritize projects. He reiterated that, through engineering directives and ongoing evaluations, the state is working to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to tackling repairs and improvements. View Deputy Secretary Perry’s Bridge Presentation. 

=

Public comments on the bridge program will be accepted through August 7, 2025  – click here to learn more! 

The new SCDOT Modernization Ad-Hoc Committee held its first meeting on May 28 to organize and discuss their upcoming work. The committee is co-chaired by Representatives Shannon Erickson (R-Beaufort) and Heather Crawford (R-Horry).

Speaker Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) addressed the committee and made it abundantly clear that this committee is not symbolic but tasked with doing the “heavy lifting” to bring South Carolina into a modern age.

He outlined a few key areas that the committee should look into to find ways to deliver faster project timelines, smarter planning, better services, and ensure SCDOT is equipped to handle not only the needs of 2025, but 2050.

• Improve permitting processes and timelines.
• Update tolling statutes so the state has another tool to help deal with congestion.
• Ensure electric vehicles are paying their fair share towards transportation infrastructure.
• Assess SCDOT’s structure and operations to determine any areas for improvement to increase efficiency.
• Analyze funding sources and consider new mechanisms.

Speaker Smith emphasized that modernizing and expanding infrastructure takes money, and the committee must consider how to raise revenues.

The state’s growth continues to be an issue, and the Speaker urged the committee to consider ways to address the impacts infrastructure and explore ways new residents could contribute.

Policy and funding will be key focus areas, which is evident by the appointment of Erickson and Crawford to lead the committee. You may recall that Rep. Erickson chairs the Education & Public Works Committee, and Rep. Crawford chairs the Transportation & Regulatory Budget Subcommittee on Ways & Means.

The committee has a lot of work ahead of them to determine the resources and revenues necessary to tackle the needs of our rapidly growing and changing state.

We expect the committee to hold public meetings across the state later this summer to receive public testimony. They will likely work through the fall to have recommendations ready for legislation to be introduced in 2026.

 

The creation of the SCDOT Modernization Ad-Hoc Committee couldn’t come at a better time. South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, and as our economy and population continue to change, so do the impacts on our transportation network – literally and fiscally. In order to maintain momentum toward improving conditions, mobility, and accessibility statewide, policies governing transportation infrastructure must remain reliable and relevant.

We look forward to working with the Ad-Hoc Committee members, and we appreciate their willingness to take on these complex issues to ensure that South Carolina has the necessary tools to keep our people and economy moving forward.

SCFOR applauds the legislature for continuing to make infrastructure a budget priority. Over the last few years, we have seen significant investments made through the budget process that have helped accelerate projects in the pipeline and provide timely boosts to programs.

The investments in the FY25-26 budget ensure that repairs and replacements to our aging bridge network continue while safeguarding existing programs from being adversely affected by unexpected expenses from Hurricane Helene.

At a time when dollars are not going as far as they used to and are not keeping pace with our growing population, these budget investments are essential to keeping projects moving forward.

The SCDOT Commission has approved investment levels and 732 miles of ranked projects for inclusion in the FY25-26 pavement program. In the upcoming fiscal year, $726 million will be invested in pavement improvements across the state. A breakdown of funding by category is below:

• Interstates: $150 million
• Primary Roads: $354 million
• Farm-to-Market Secondaries: $140 million
• Neighborhood Streets: $82 million

Funding for interstates is a statewide allocation. Commissioners approved the four-year interstate pavement plan for various rehabilitation and preventative maintenance projects.

Funding for primary roads, farm-to-market secondaries, and neighborhood streets is allocated at the county level. These allocations are based on the county’s relative share of lane miles in each system. Commissioners approved ranked projects across these networks for inclusion in the program. View SCDOT’s interactive map for details on the projects included.

Public comments will be accepted through June 18, 2025. Click here to learn more.

 

After years of debate, legislation strengthening the state’s distracted driving laws has finally crossed the finish line. This week, Governor McMaster signed the distracted driving/hands-free bill (H.3276) into law, effective September 1, 2025.

Key provisions included in the bill are outlined below:

• Prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a mobile device to read/transmit messages/emails or to watch movies or videos while driving.
  • Includes several exceptions, including when a driver is stopped, communicating with the use of voice-based/hands-free technology, reporting an accident or emergency, and performing occupational duties.
• Increases penalties for distracted driving – $100 penalty for first offenses and $200 for subsequent offenses and a two-point violation.
• It prohibits law enforcement from stopping a driver unless they witness a driver using a device and have reasonable suspicion they are using it unlawfully.
• Includes provisions to require that warning tickets are issued for the first 180 days.

In recent years, efforts to strengthen distracted driving laws have repeatedly stalled. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s threat to withhold federal highway funding unless South Carolina enacted a stronger law has motivated legislators to finally move this issue forward.

The bill aligns South Carolina with other states, and hopefully, these increased penalties will curtail drivers from being distracted by their mobile devices – and make our roads a little safer.

Governor McMaster signed waste tire legislation (S.171) into law on May 12, 2025. 

This legislation has been years in the making and supported by the SC Association of Counties and the SC Manufacturers Alliance.

An overview of key provisions of the bill is outlined below.

• Establish protocols and reporting requirements for waste haulers.
• Prohibit the installation of unsafe used tires.
• Allow counties to charge additional tipping fees for waste tire disposal.
• Expands eligibility for Waste Tire Fund grants:
  • Grants may be extended to counties to assist in recruiting businesses that utilize waste tires for alternative uses, including rubber-modified asphalt.
  • Grants may be awarded to businesses that generate or process waste tires to develop, create, or utilize waste tires for alternative productive uses, including but not limited to rubber-modified asphalt.
• Provides for developing a state plan for managing waste tires and market development, with input from various entities and industries.