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SC Alliance to Fix Our Roads

2019 State of the SCDOT

The SCDOT Commission’s February meeting was held on Thursday with Chairman Robby Robbins (Dist.1) presiding. The primary focus of the meeting was the presentation of the annual State of the SCDOT report. SCDOT Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall recently gave this report to the Senate Transportation Committee, and Thursday’s presentation to the Commission was unchanged. However, given the time constraints of the Transportation Committee meeting, she was able to provide additional details in her report to the Commission.

Pavements

Secretary Hall emphasized that one of the top priorities of the 10-year plan was to address pavements and the majority of the new money in the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF) was going towards improving pavements.

Currently, the SCDOT has $417 million invested in pavements (up from $291 million before Act 40), and that number will continue to climb each year. At full implementation of Act 40, the SCDOT plans to have $702 million invested in pavements annually.

Secretary Hall reminded Commissioners that the state had $11 billion worth of pavement needs as a result of 30 years’ worth of backlogged maintenance. While not every road is going to be paved, with the continued increase of investments in the coming years, Hall said she expected the public to see a dramatic increase in construction across the state.

The 10-Year Plan is dependent upon the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund, Federal Funding, and other State Revenues dedicated to SCDOT. Source: 2019 State of the SCDOT Presentation, SCDOT Commission Notebook February 21, 2019.

Bridges

There are 755 structurally deficient bridges and 366 load-restricted bridges in South Carolina. Currently, the state is investing over $100 million in bridges and that number is expected to grow. It is important to note that the additional revenues generated by Act 40 (and deposited into the IMTF) are supplementing the existing bridge program.  Secretary Hall emphasized that Act 98 jump-started the bridge program and since passage of Act 98, 71 bridge projects have been completed and more than 50 were under construction.

While the 10-year plan and additional funding will go towards repairing 465 structurally deficient and load-restricted bridges, other bridges that might not be categorized as such will continue to decay over the years. Therefore, the SCDOT will need to assess their strategy for the bridge program over time.

Interstates

SCDOT has completed over 70 miles of interstate widenings since 2017. In the next 12-18 months, another $2 billion worth of interstate work is expected to begin. This work will be in the Midlands region, with Carolina Crossroads (Malfunction Junction) and a section of I-26.

In 2022, another $3 billion is expected to be underway, with the bulk of the projects in the Charleston region. This includes widening for the existing 526 as well as bridge work that will need to be designed to meet future economic needs (i.e., port containers and population growth).

In addition to these widenings, the agency also continues to work on moving the rural interstate improvement program forward. As we have previously reported, the SCDOT plans to utilize $110 million after the tax credit sunsets in 2022. Over the next few months, SCDOT will be working to recommend ranked projects for Commission approval. Secretary Hall said that they want to continue to move forward with preliminary work so when the money becomes available the projects can start.

Secretary Hall also noted that a lot of the interstate work that is in the pipeline is work that should have been done ten years ago, but the money just wasn’t there to do it.

Source: 2019 State of the SCDOT Presentation, SCDOT Commission Notebook February 21, 2019.

Congestion Will be the Next Priority

Secretary Hall emphasized the need for any additional funding that the state receives from the federal government or otherwise would need to go to the MPO/COG program so it could be put towards non-interstate capacity needs.  Over the past five years, South Carolina has seen a 20% increase in growth and miles traveled.

“This is not getting any better, and it will only get worse,” Hall said.

Currently, there is no funding within SCDOT to cover these needs, and while local option sales taxes help, they are certainly not enough.

Historic Amount of Work Underway

SCDOT continues to tout that the value of road work on the streets has tripled in value. Currently there is $3 billion worth of work under contract across the state and the number is expected to grow.  So what is that $3 billion going towards? Here’s a closer look at the allocations based on types of projects/programs:

Pavements are a top priority.  With $900 million in direct contracts, as well as $421 allocated to CTCs (which is primarily used for pavement improvements) you can see that pavements make up nearly half of the work.

Remember, 80% of the state’s pavements need repair and those repairs come with an $11 billion price tag. It will certainly take longer than 10 years to #fixscroads.  We estimate it will take roughly 20+ years before the vast majority of pavements are in good shape across the state.  This should not come as a surprise to anyone.  It took decades for our roads to get in this condition and it will certainly take just as long to repair and rebuild them. You can’t #fixscroads overnight!

 

The next SCDOT Commission meeting is scheduled for March 21, 2019.

Putting Your Money to Work – A Look at the Progress to Date

Thanks to revenues generated from 2017 road funding legislation, critical repairs continue to take place across South Carolina. As you may know, the state has laid out a 10-year plan to address the areas of greatest need, focusing on pavement conditions, bridges, rural road safety, and interstates. Since passage of road funding legislation in July 2017, here’s a look at the progress that has been made to date.

  • 2,205 Miles of Resurfacing (10 year Plan Goal: 16,000+ miles of pavement.)
  • 51 Bridge Replacements (10 Year Plan Goal: 465 bridges)
  • 187 Miles of Rural Road Safety (10 year Plan Goal: 1,000 miles)
  • 70 Miles of Interstate Upgrades (10 year Plan Goal: 140+ miles)

The revenues provided by the 2017 road funding bill will help get our roads and bridges to a state of good repair; however, there will still be significant needs across the state.  It will certainly take longer than 10 years to bring our roads back from decades of neglect, but as the new revenues are phased in, we will continue to see more work around the state to #fixscroads.

$914 Million Committed to SC Road & Bridge Projects

The revenues generated by 2017 road funding legislation (Act 40) have laid the groundwork for the state to adequately plan and begin work to #fixscroads. But just where is that new money going?

The NEW REVENUES generated from the fuel tax increase and other vehicle related fee increases included in Act 40 go directly into the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF) and must be used to FIX EXISTING ROADS AND BRIDGES.

Currently, $914 million has been committed to road and bridge improvements across the state.  Check out what $914 Million worth of work looks like – VIEW the Project List here.

A full accounting of the IMTF (including balance sheets, details of who has been paid and for what) is available on the SCDOT’s website and this information is updated monthly. We encourage you to visit the webpage and follow the money!

Visit the IMTF website: https://www.scdot.org/inside/trustfund.aspx

 

SCDOT Commission Approves Funding to Begin Planning for Interstate Improvements

The SCDOT Commission has approved funding to begin planning for priority interstate capacity projects included in SCDOT’s Rural Interstate Freight Network Mobility Improvement Program which was approved by the Commission in October 2018.

Commissioners approved $1 million for each of the five interstate expansions which are intended to come to fruition using revenues ($110 million) from the fuel tax/preventative maintenance tax credit after it sunsets in 2022. Details of the interstate routes slated for improvements are outlined below:

The public has expressed support for interstate expansions, most recently during a public comment period where the SCDOT received 224 comments, 95% of which were in favor of increased interstate capacity.  Details on those public comments can be found here.

SC Pothole Blitz

The SCDOT is looking address the increased number of potholes a lot of you have been noticing due to the rain over the past few weeks with a “Pothole Blitz” across the state. Crews who will be working extended hours over the coming weeks to tackle these temporary repairs.

Remember, SCDOT can’t fix potholes if they don’t know where they are. You are encouraged to report potholes to SCDOT online or by phone.

Report Potholes to the SCDOT!
Online: http://dbw.scdot.org/workrequest/mRequest.aspx
Phone: (803) 737-1200 or toll free 1-855-GO-SCDOT (855-467-2368)

Public Expresses Support for Interstate Capacity

The Rural Interstate Freight Network Mobility Improvement Plan will focus solely on rural sections of the interstate system with a focus on freight density and improving mobility. The SCDOT plans to allocate $110 million to the program once the fuel tax credit included in Act 40 sunsets in 2022.

Following Commission approval of the program in October, the SCDOT received 224 public comments on the program. Of those, 95% were in favor of the improvements. In addition, 86% of those comments specifically mentioned I-95.

A breakdown of responses* is outlined below:

  • 106 comments in favor of widening I-95
  • 75 comments in favor of widening I-95 at Georgia state line.
  • 21 comments in favor of the overall program.
  • 12 comments were in favor of I-95 and mentioned I-26.
  • 5 comments required responses from SCDOT staff.
  • 5 comments were not substantive.

*Source: SCDOT Commission Notebook December 6, 2018

SCDOT Plans to Tackle More Interstate Widenings

The SC Department of Transportation met on Thursday, October 18, to approve the addition of mobility targets to the Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP). In addition, they also approved the inclusion of the Rural Interstate Freight Network Mobility Improvement Program to the TAMP, which will specifically target rural sections of the interstate system for capacity improvements.

Measuring Mobility
Mobility performance targets are based on two key factors:

1. Performance of Interstate (Percentage of Interstate Segments with Reliable Travel Times*)
2. Movement of Freight (Truck Travel Time Reliability Index*)
*These factors are based on data that is collected at an interval rate (15 minutes) during peak travel times across 1300 segments of the interstate system.

Baseline conditions (2016) and 10-year target figures are outlined below. As you can see these additional investments will not come close to solving problems, but they will serve as an attempt to help ease the decline of mobility.

Source: SCDOT Commission Notebook 10/18/18

The Rural Interstate Freight Network Mobility Improvement Plan will be in addition to the previously approved interstate widening projects planned for the urban areas of the state. It will focus solely on rural sections of the interstate system with a focus on freight density and improving mobility.

The SCDOT plans to allocate $110 million to the program once the fuel tax credit included in Act 40 sunsets in 2023.

Focusing on the movement of freight allows for the SCDOT to improve reliability, productivity, and begin addressing capacity needs on our interstates in areas that they are needed most. While interstates only make up 2% of the system, they carry 30% of the traffic and serve as main arteries of commerce in the state.

Truck freight has grown across the country and will continue to grow in the coming years. In South Carolina, truck freight tonnage is predicted to increase from $375 million to $600 million by 2040.

A total of 18 freight corridors were identified for the program using Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) boundaries as the basis.

Source: SCDOT Commission Notebook 10/18/18

The SCDOT also worked in conjunction with the SC Department of Commerce and the SC Ports Authority to better assess economic impacts and mobility of routes.

Each segment was ranked using the following criteria:
• Truck travel time reliability – 0 to 250 points
• Freight tonnage – 0 to 200 points
• Average Annual Daily Truck Traffic – 0 to 200 points
• Potential for economic development – 0 to 100 points
• Service to SC Ports – 0 to 100 points
• Commercial truck crashes – 0 to 100 points
• Connectivity to our existing widened sections – 0 or 50 points

Based on rankings, the top five rural interstate freight segments were identified:

Source: SCDOT Commission Notebook 10/18/18

Source: SCDOT Commission Notebook 10/18/18

SCFOR applauds the SCDOT for working to address additional interstate capacity needs across the state. South Carolina’s roads, especially our interstates, must be able to efficiently move goods and people. The planning and use of analytical data by the SCDOT to identify these corridors to make strategic investments in the coming years is a proactive and responsible approach to managing mobility on South Carolina’s interstates. 

Revival of the Mark Clark Expressway

The State Transportation Infrastructure Bank (STIB) Board held a special meeting today where board members voted 5-2 to rescind their June 2018 vote to terminate participation in the project and to amend the current intergovernmental agreement (IGA), bringing new life to 526/Mark Clark Expressway.

Proposed Changes to the Agreement
The proposed changes include additional revenue from the county. Charleston county has agreed to increase their portion from $117 million to $305 million. The Bank has committed to $420 million (capped amount) with the county covering any excess costs.

It is expected that the term agreement which was distributed to board members during the meeting will be made public.

There is a 45-day deadline to amend the agreement. If the agreement is amended and approved, the Bank will submit the project to the appropriate entities for approval.