The House Ways & Means Committee completed their work on the FY24-25 appropriations bill this week, which includes a one-time allocation of $200 million to SCDOT to aid repair and replacements to the state’s aging bridge network.
This allocation of additional dollars to the state’s bridge program is timely, given the fact that many bridges across the state are aging out of their intended lifespan. Currently, there are over 2,700 bridges that are 60 years old or older, and that number is expected to grow to 3,900 over the next decade.
SCFOR applauds the Ways & Means Committee for prioritizing infrastructure, and we look forward to the House supporting this allocation when they begin budget deliberations on the floor starting March 11.
Budget subcommittee meetings are underway in the Senate, as the Finance Committee begins work to craft their version of the FY24-25 budget. We expect the SCDOT to present to the Transportation & Regulatory Subcommittee in the coming weeks.
SCFOR will be advocating for Senators to also support an allocation to bridges in their FY24-25 budget.