SCDOT Manufactured Only 14 Highway Stimulus Funding Project Signs
July 18, 2010
CHARLESTON, SC – July 18, 2010 – Recent national media reports haveshown that some states have manufactured hundreds of highway signsdesignating projects that have been funded by the American Recovery& Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at a cost ranging in the hundreds ofthousands of dollars.
South Carolina Transportation Secretary H.B. Limehouse Jr. announcedthat the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)manufactured only a total of 14 signs at a total cost of $3700.
Two signs bearing the official ARRA logo were produced for use inofficial openings of ARRA-funded projects. These signs are used forphoto opportunities and then are removed for use at other locations. Thecost of each sign, which includes sign posts and labor and equipmentfor installation is $500.
SCDOT also produced 12 signs that are smaller in design with letteringonly. Six pairs of the smaller signs have been installed on one projectin each of the six congressional districts. The total cost per sign is$225 which includes sign posts, labor and equipment for installation.
Secretary Limehouse said he decided that SCDOT would spend only aminimal amount of money on ARRA-funding signs. “I made the decisionearly in the process in the spring of 2009 that we would not spend moneyfor signs on each ARRA project. Our policy has been to put as muchfunding into the maintenance of our highway system as possible,” saidLimehouse.
