SCDOT Commission Approves More ARRA-funded Projects
April 21, 2009
Funding for local projects in three Congressional districts allocated
COLUMBIA, SC – April 20, 2009 – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Commission approved the use of nearly $30 million in federal stimulus dollars on Thursday April 16, 2009 for local highway projects in three of the state’s six Congressional districts. The approvals were given at the Commission’s monthly meeting held in Yemassee, South Carolina. The funding is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law in February of 2009.
SCDOT received a total allocation of $463 million from the ARRA. The law requires the agency to spend at least 30% of the funding for local projects, including the large urban areas. In February of 2009 the Commission chose to increase that percentage to 33%. After the required ARRA local formula allocation to the large urban areas, the Commission had $106 million remaining for projects to be coordinated with local governments. The Commission agreed at its March meeting to divide the $106 million equally among the six Congressional districts, with each District receiving $17.752 million. Here’s is a breakdown of the funds approved on April 16:
2nd Congressional District represented by Commissioner Henry Taylor
–$7,814,121 allocated for the following projects:
$212,500 – Improvement project for the SC 64/S-224 intersection in Barnwell.
$7,601,621 – Resurfacing of rural highways in the district including:
Aiken County – $633,695
Allendale County – $567,668
Barnwell County – $751,342
Beaufort County – $2,210,734
Calhoun County – $471,629
Hampton County – $720,130
Jasper County – $709,325
Lexington County – $802,163
Orangeburg County – $734,936
This additional funding approved on April 16 completes the $17.752 million allocation for the 2nd Congressional District.
5th Congressional District represented by Commissioner Sarah B. Nuckles:
–$17,592,133 allocated for the following projects:
$5,750,000 – Funding for the SC 5 Bypass in York County
These funds will be coupled with local sales tax dollars to complete the financing of this project.
$9,092,133 – Road resurfacing projects in the 5th District:
$823,000 for each of these counties: Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Fairfield, Kershaw, and Marlboro.
Marlboro County’s allocation will be used for resurfacing 6.16 miles of US 1.
Other resurfacing projects:
Lee County – $625,000
Lancaster County – $1,220,133 for resurfacing nearly one mile of SC 160
$1.5 million will be held in consideration as supplemental funding for the I-95/SC 327 (Myrtle Beach) Interchange. If additional funding is not identified in such a manner that would allow authorization of this interchange project by late 2009, these stimulus dollars will be directed to as resurfacing funds in the above-named counties on a pro-rata basis.
$1.250 million for funding the Alice Drive project in Sumter from West Mark Blvd. to US 521. This project is located in the Sumter Urban Area Transportation Metropolitan Planning Organization (SUATS MPO).
This additional funding approved on April 16 completes the $17.752 million allocation for the 5th Congressional District.
6th Congressional District represented by Commissioner Marvin Stevenson:
–$4,240,000 allocated for the following projects:
$250,000 – Funding for Alice Drive in Sumter.
This project is located in the Sumter Urban Area Transportation Metropolitan Planning Organization (SUATS MPO)
Increase the previously approved allocation for improvements on US 78 in Dorchester County from $500,000 to $1 million. This increased allocation will complete the financing of corridor improvements.
Increase the previously approved allocation for the Columbia Urban Area Transportation Metropolitan Planning Organization (COATS MPO) from $500,000 to $2.5 million. The additional funds will expand the $6.5 million North Main Street Project to $9 million.
$2,021,133 – Additional funds allocated for resurfacing projects in the 6th Congressional District bringing the total funds available to $9,481,000:
— Marion County – $5,183,000. $3,683,000 applied to resurfacing sections of US
76, US 501 Business, S-41 (Old Mullins Highway in Marion), US 501 in Rains.
— Another $1.5 million will be allocated for resurfacing other roads in Marion County on a priority basis.
$5,788,000 for resurfacing S-24 (Nesmith Road) in Williamsburg County.
This additional funding approved on April 16 nearly completes the $17.752 million allocation for the 6th Congressional District. The District has $531,133 in remaining ARRA funds available.
The allocation of $17.752 million each for the 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts was completed at previous Commission meetings on March 19 and April 2. The 1st Congressional District represented by Commissioner Danny Isaac has allocated $5.389 million for ARRA projects to this date.
Transportation Secretary H. B. Buck Limehouse Jr. commended the Commission and the SCDOT staff for moving quickly on the ARRA funds. This fast action has resulted in allocating nearly all of South Carolina’s $463 million share of the highway stimulus funds provided by ARRA. Our Engineering staff is working hard to put these projects out on the street to get people working again. We have already taken bids on 12 contracts that will resurface 57 sections of highway and replace eight bridges, said Limehouse.
SCDOT has accelerated the bidding process to accommodate the ARRA-funded projects. The agency will put projects out for bid twice a month instead of the usual once-per-month process through at least the month of June.
For more information go to http://www.scdot.org/
