South Carolina’s infrastructure systems could see immediate and long-term funding boosts under a spending plan proposed Jan. 10 by Gov. Henry McMaster (R).
Taking advantage of what McMaster called “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” of having both $2.4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds and a $3-billion state revenue surplus, the plan calls for allocating $1.26 billion “to accelerate construction, expansion or improvements to state-owned roads, bridges, highways and interstates.” High-priority projects identified for additional funding include widening Interstate 26 to six lanes between Columbia and Charleston, widening Interstate 95 to six lanes in the state’s Lowcountry region, and additional widening work along on Interstate 85.