10-Year Plan

South Carolina initiated a 10-year plan in 2017 with the passage of Act 40. The plan focuses on tackling deferred maintenance and safety needs across the state, placing emphasis on pavement conditions, bridges, rural road safety, and interstate capacity. Federal and state dollars are used to fund the plan, and over the years, we have seen our state dollars put to work to address decades of neglect.

Pavements/Resurfacing

The state is working to improve poor pavement conditions and eradicate countless potholes on interstates as well as the primary routes that connect our cities, towns, as well as secondary roads. To date, over 10,000 miles of roads have been addressed in all 46 counties. And, there is much work to be done.

State dollars play a critical role in funding repairs and maintenance, and they are a key source of revenue for the pavement program. In fact, the majority of the revenues (approx. 82%) in the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF) are dedicated to pavement improvements.

Bridge Replacements

South Carolina invests $239 million annually on bridge improvements using state and federal dollars. At these investment levels, the state averages 50 bridge projects per year. The state’s 10-year plan aims to repair or replace 530 bridges, many of which are load-restricted and cannot be used by school buses or larger trucks.

Many bridges across the state are aging out of their intended lifespan. Currently, there are over 2,400 bridges that are 60 years old or older, and that number is expected to grow to 3,900 over the next decade.

To aid the state in addressing these aging structures, the legislature allocated $200 million in surplus budget dollars in FY24-25 and FY25-26 to boost the bridge program, bringing the total investment to $439 million.

These investments demonstrate a strong commitment to provide a much-needed boost to help improve these critical structures.

Rural Road Safety

South Carolina has the deadliest rural roads in the nation. In response to that, SCDOT initiated a rural road safety program
to identify targeted improvements on routes where fatal and serious traffic crashes occur. To date, safety improvements have been initiated on over 1,200 miles (and counting) of the 1,300 miles of rural roads identified in the 10-year plan.

Roadway departures are the primary cause of crashes, so the program has two key focus areas: (1) Keep vehicles on the road and (2) provide an opportunity for them to get back on. Improvements include the addition of rumble strips, guardrails, raised pavement markers, paved shoulders, and wider clear zones. These measures have proven effective, leading to a 20% reduction in fatal and serious accidents.

With vehicle miles only expected to increase in the coming years, ongoing investments to enhance safety and reduce accidents must continue to be a priority. However, safety is a collective effort that involves all road users, law enforcement, traffic engineering/design,
vehicle manufacturers, and first responders.

A recent report found that drivers engaging in risky behaviors (i.e., speeding, failure to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs) continue to be key contributors to accidents nationwide. Therefore, efforts should continue to educate drivers on safe habits and hold them accountable for their behavior behind the wheel. There is no substitute for safe driving habits. Safe roads begin with safe drivers.

Interstate Capacity

Using a “Fix it First” approach, SCDOT is currently working to improve and expand existing interstates in urban and rural areas of the state. Work is underway on nearly every interstate in South Carolina.

The Rural Interstate Freight Network Mobility Improvement Program (est. 2018) identified rural sections of the interstate system with a focus on freight density and improving mobility. (These rural improvements are in addition to previously approved interstate widening projects planned for the urban areas of the state.)

•  I-26 – Exit 125 to Exit 169 (43 miles)
• I-95 – Georgia Line to Exit 33  (33 miles)
• I-26 – Exit 169 to Exit 187  (18 miles)
• I-85 – Georgia Line to Exit 19  (19 miles)
• I-77 – Exit 65 to Exit 77  (12 miles)

In 2022, the SC legislature allocated approximately $453 million in ARPA allocations to the SCDOT, which will be used to accelerate the widening of I-26 between Columbia and Charleston. They also provided a one-time budget allocation of $133.6 million to accelerate the projects in the pipeline specifically on I-95 beginning at the Georgia border.

It is important to remember that there are capacity needs beyond our interstates. When it comes to non-interstate capacity, the state does not have a program dedicated to addressing these needs. Instead, the state relies on federal funding allocated to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Council of Governments (COGs). MPOs and COGs have the ability to invest in capacity projects (among other things) in their respective areas using their allocated funds. However, in many areas, especially those experiencing rapid growth, capacity needs tend to fall on local governments to address, using their own revenue sources.