The South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission approved the investment of an additional $200 million for bridge maintenance when it approved updates to the DOT bridge program last week.
The commission approved a list of bridge projects for SCDOT beginning in the coming years with the current and future funding appropriations. The additional $200 million in funding was previously appropriated by the SC General Assembly.
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor McMaster and the General Assembly and their continued investment in South Carolina’s infrastructure, SCDOT is expediting progress and restoring even more bridges in our state. Our team is already hard at work putting this money to use to help people and goods move through South Carolina,” Secretary of Transportation Justin P. Powell said.
The general assembly allocated an additional $200 million in one-time funding for bridges across the state. The current program is $239 million, which brings the total for bridge replacements and rehabilitations for the coming year to $439 million. The money will be used to address the list of prioritized projects. While the program won’t cover all of the projects on the list, it will allow SCDOT to work on the projects in order of priority, and as funding becomes available. As part of the agency’s 10-year plan, SCDOT has started construction or completed construction on 416 bridges and is on track to complete the 530 bridges outlined in the plan.
“The SCDOT Commission is proud of the work we have done so far to improve South Carolina’s aging bridges,” said TJ Johnson, chair of the commission. “The money SCDOT is receiving will allow crews to continue to push toward our goal of 530 bridges in 10 years.”
The SCDOT will now seek public input to amend the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan to include the additional bridge projects. Comments will be accepted through Aug. 7, 2025, officials said.