COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hundreds of miles of South Carolina roads, including some in the Midlands, are now slated for improvements. This could mean a smoother commute for drivers.
“I’m saying that those roads are very holey and rocky and rough, and they tear up our vehicles." local driver Cynthia Perry said. "I told you they’re holey but they don’t have any religion.”
Ask just about any driver, and chances are you’ll find a variety of opinions on the state of South Carolina roadways.
Steven Jacobs frequents those roads for work.
“There’s a lot of potholes that are bad and I’m sure everybody here realizes that, so if they could fix the potholes, repave that would be fantastic," Jacobs said.
That’s exactly what the South Carolina Department of History (SCDOT) plans to do by expanding it’s pavement improvement program. DOT says about $2.8 billion have been invested in pavement improvements as part of the agency’s 10-year plan.
A DOT commission approved an additional 877 miles for its current 8000-mile improvement program.
In a press release on its website, SCDOT says, "When we implemented the Strategic 10-Year Plan in 2018, we set out to make significant improvements in the condition of pavements across the state that were in poor condition due to 30 years of deferred maintenance.”
2023 marks the 7th year of the plan.
Bobby Cunningham is another driver. He says the improvements could reduce maintenance costs on his car.
“You know, you’ve got all these potholes and everything. It wears your tires out, and all of this kind of stuff, Cunningham said. "Then it causes more repairs on your vehicles than you would normally spend."
In Richland County, drivers can expect construction on several main roads, including Percival Rd., Broad River Rd., and Fort Jackson Blvd. Other roads include South Beltline Boulevard and Columbia College Drive.
The agency has not announced specific start dates for these projects, but the changes are part of their 2024 pavement improvement plan.