The legislature passed the FY26-27 state budget earlier this month, which includes approximately $380 million for roads and bridges through SCDOT and County Transportation Committees (CTCs).
The budget includes a $50 million allocation from non-recurring general funds for the bridge program. These funds, along with $139.5 million from the Capital Reserve Fund (approved in separate legislation earlier this year), will help address the growing number of aging bridges statewide in need of repair or replacement.
The bill also provided one-time dollars for a Road Buyback Program ($12.5 million) and litter pickup efforts ($2.5 million) across the state. SCDOT also received a recurring allocation of $750,000 to hire additional encroachment permit engineers.
Local projects received a boost through a $175 million non-recurring allocation for County Transportation Committees (CTCs), helping counties address local transportation needs.
Finally, a recurring allocation of $5.14 million to the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT) will cover welcome centers. SCDOT usually covers this expense with gas tax revenue, so SCDOT will no longer have to transfer those funds to PRT. That money can now go toward maintenance.
These one-time budget allocations are critical to keeping the state’s transportation program moving forward. With dedicated transportation revenue sources remaining relatively flat and failing to keep pace with inflation and population growth, these additional investments help provide the resources needed to keep bridge projects moving and give counties a boost to address local maintenance issues.
Earmarks were a point of contention throughout the budget process, and legislators opted not to include them in the FY26-27 budget. Instead, they returned this week to approve funding allocations for local projects in separate legislation. The supplemental spending bill includes $350 million for local projects, including $34 million for transportation projects through SCDOT.
