State considering SCDOT restructure amid delayed projects and crumbling roads

Lawmakers in South Carolina are considering a bill that would restructure the state’s Department of Transportation in an attempt to speed up delayed projects and address crumbling roads. 

Transportation officials testified this week as lawmakers at the State House consider modernizing the SCDOT, shifting responsibility for some roads to local governments. DOT leaders say that revenue has not kept up with rising maintenance costs and inflation, leading to the project delays and crumbling roads. 

According to WLTX, the bill would allow counties and other municipalities to take over ownership of some state-owned roads if they choose to. Local governments that do take responsibility for these roads would receive immediate payment from the state and flexibility regarding how they spend the money. The SCDOT plans to identify 20,000 miles of roadway available to shift over to local governments, but says it does not expect all 20,000 miles to be taken over. 

The bill would also determine a strict timeline for the approval or rejection of road projects by municipalities, making 180 days without a response an automatic acceptance of the project. A raise in registration fees for electric vehicles is also included in the bill, along with express toll lanes in certain areas. The leadership system within the DOT would also face a restructure.

“We have a lot of local governments in the state that have good public works departments with capacity,” State Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell said. “We [also] have a lot of local governments that own one backhoe for a county of 500 square miles. So, the bill as it’s written now would be a voluntary takeback program.”

Another hearing on the bill is scheduled for next week.