SCDOT Commission Approves More Highway Stimulus Funds

More funding for local projects in Congressional districts allocated

COLUMBIA, SC – April 3, 2009 – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Commission approved the use of just over $46 million in federal stimulus dollars on Thursday April 2, 2009 for local highway projects in five of the six Congressional districts in the state. The voting was done during a telephone conference call held on Thursday morning. The funding is expected to be provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law in February of 2009.

The Commission’s action allows SCDOT staff to begin a public comment period on the approved non Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) projects and funding levels as required by the ARRA. Following the 15 day public comment period on the non MPO projects, the Commission must vote to include these ARRA-funded projects into the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). Once that approval is given, SCDOT can move forward with those non MPO projects. Commission approved ARRA projects within MPO areas will follow the local MPO approval and public involvement process, and will be brought to the Commission for inclusion in the STIP upon completion of their local comment period.

The Commission agreed at its March meeting to divide $106 million equally among the six Congressional districts, with each District receiving $17.752 million. Each Commissioner began meeting with local government organizations in their respective districts to prioritize and recommend projects that met the ARRA act requirements. Thursday’s conference call was part of the continuing process to approve ARRA eligible projects based on some of those meetings:

 

1st Congressional District represented by Commissioner Danny Isaac 

-$5.389 million allocated for the following projects:

• $3,697,500  – US 17/Southbound in Horry County. These ARRA funds will be combined with annual state and federal funds allocated to South Carolina to complete the financing of widening this four-lane highway from the SC 9 interchange to 2nd Avenue North.
• $382,500 – Improve the intersection of US 17 at Mineola Avenue in Horry County
• $280,500 – Improve the intersection of US 17 at Waverly Road in Georgetown County
• $382,500 – Improve the intersection of US 17 at Sandy Island Road in Georgetown County
• $212,500 – Improve the intersection of US 17 at Front Street in Georgetown County.
• $433,500 –Improve the intersection of US 701 at Old Pee Dee Road in Georgetown County.

 

2nd Congressional District represented by Commissioner Henry Taylor 

-$9.938 million allocated for the following projects:

• $2,500,000 – Widening of Simmonsville Road in Beaufort County. ARRA funds combined with local funding will complete the financing needed to widen the existing two-lane road from US 278 to Bluffton Parkway.
• $4,500,000 million – Widening of SC 46 (Bluffton Road) in Beaufort County. ARRA funds and local funds will complete the financing needed for widening this two-lane road from US 278 to Bluffton Village.
• $2,938,012 million – Widening of SC 602 (Platt Springs Road) in Lexington County. Local annual federal and state funds will be combined with ARRA funding to provide the financing for widening this two-lane highway from SC 6 to Secondary Road 103. 

Commissioner Taylor further moved to use annual federal funds that had been slated for the SC 602 project to advance intersection improvements on US 378 in Lexington County, and to begin preliminary engineering work for projects on Leesburg Road and Hardscrabble Road in Richland County. The Commission approved this motion.

 

4th Congressional District represented by Commission Chairman F. Hugh Atkins 

-$17.752 million (full share) allocated for the following projects:

• $6 million – Widening of SC 9 in Spartanburg County. Annual federal and state funds will be combined with ARRA funding to complete the financing of Phase I of this widening project.
• $4.9 million – Allocated for resurfacing projects in Spartanburg County.
• $2.34 million – Allocated for signal systems in Spartanburg County. Funding will provide systems for 26 intersections on Pine Street, US 29 and the Central Business District.
• $1.02 million – Improve the Wildcat Road/SC 49 intersection in Union County.
• $3.4 million – TMA Funding approved in the 4th District: The ARRA requires SCDOT to coordinate funding of projects in Transportation Management Areas, or urban areas with populations of 200,000 or more. The Greenville/Pickens area is one of the five TMAs in South Carolina. The $3.4 million has been added to the Greenville/Pickens TMA funding for eligible projects at Fairforest Way and US 29 (Church Street). The remaining TMA funds, combined with $222,133 from the 3rd Congressional District will be applied to other Greenville/Pickens TMA projects on SC 153 in Anderson County and Prince Perry Road (US 123) in Easley.
• Approved Greenville/Pickens TMA project descriptions and estimated cost –
  • US 29 (Church Street): Turn lanes and other operational improvements from University Ridge to Augusta Road. Cost: $5.1 million.
  • Fairforest Way: Widening from Saluda Dam Road to Secondary Road 199. Cost: $2.5 million.

 

5th Congressional District represented by Commissioner Sarah B. Nuckles 

-$160,000 approved on April 2, 2009

•  $160,000 – Improve the SC 391 and Secondary Road 41 intersection in Newberry County
   

Meetings between Commissioner Nuckles and the local governments in this Congressional District will continue with a full list of recommended projects expected soon.

 

6th Congressional District represented by Commissioner Marvin Stevenson 

-$12.981 million allocated for the following projects:

• $500,000 – US 78 Improvements in Dorchester County. Local funds will be combined with ARRA funding to complete the financing of improvements from Secondary Road 167 to US 178.
• $500,000 – Allocated to the Columbia area TMA for the North Main Street Project.  This allocation will allow for a slight expansion of the current project scope.
• $2,500,000 million – Held in reserve as possible supplemental funding for the I-95/SC 327 interchange project. If no additional funding is identified in a timely manner that would make this project “shovel ready” by late 2009, these dollars will be applied to an eligible “shovel ready” project.
• $9,481,000 million – Allocated for resurfacing projects in the 6th Congressional District.
   

Local projects for the 3rd Congressional District represented by Commissioner  Charles Dalton were previously presented and approved by the Commission at its monthly meeting on March 19, 2009. The project allocations totaled the full share of $17.752 million. Projects approved for the 3rd District:

• $7,650,000 million – East/West Connector construction
• $850,000 – SC 39/SC 702 intersection improvement
• $2,890,000 million – Clinton Frontage Road improvement from SC 52 to SC 72
• $6,140,000 million – SC 133 intersection improvement and bridge replacement
• $222,133 – directed to Greenville/Pickens TMA for the SC 153 project.
   

Transportation Secretary H. B. “Buck” Limehouse Jr. thanked the Commission for working with SCDOT staff to identify and qualify stimulus-funded projects quickly in an effort to create jobs. 

“The
recession has hit South Carolina very hard, but funding badly needed highway work will create jobs which is one of the best solutions for getting the economy moving again,” said Limehouse.

SCDOT is scheduled to put out the first round of ARRA projects for bids later this month.