The South Carolina Department of Transportation reached the end of six years of gas-tax increases on July 1, 2022, and funds have gone to work improving state roads, with most projects ahead of schedule.
Gas prices have been a major concern in recent months, but the gas tax increase allowed SCDOT to double the number of roads it has repaved since 2017. The 2022-2023 paving program will add 1,133 miles of roads to the list, in addition to the 5,800 miles of paving that’s under contract.
On top of the main roads, SCDOT will target some rural roads for improvements. South Carolina has the highest rate for rural-road deaths in the country, according to the SCDOT, and the new plans are looking to mitigate the worst roads. The plan originally called for 1,000 miles of rural-road improvements over the next 10 years, but SCDOT has been able to improve 722 miles so far with a new goal of 1,250 miles of total improvements.
Greenville County roads to be repaired/rebuilt
- Travelers Rest: 4 miles of S.C. 414 and five miles of Mountain View Road.
- Greer: 1.7 miles of West Poinsett Street.
- Greenville: 1.7 miles of North Pleasantburg Drive.
- Fountain Inn: 0.9 miles of Gulliver Street.
- Piedmont: 0.8 miles of Main Street.
- Taylors: 1.7 miles of S.C. 14.
- Williamston: 5.8 miles of Cooley Bridge Road.
Greenville County farm-to-market roads to be repaired/rebuilt
- Greer: 2.8 miles of Fews Chapel Road, 2.3 miles of Fews Bridge Road, 1.6 miles of Fairview Road.
- Berea: 0.7 miles of Furman Hall Road.
- Taylors: 0.8 miles of East Suber Road, 1.5 miles of Hammett Bridge Road, 2.5 miles of Suber Road.
- Mauldin: 1 mile of Batesville Road.
- Fountain Inn: 1 mile of Fairview Street.
- Piedmont: 2.6 miles of West Georgia Road.
Greenville County neighborhood streets
- Simpsonville: 1.9 miles of Neely Ferry Road.
- Greer: 1.9 miles of West Gap Creek Road.
Bridges also get upgrades/replacements
In addition to its road improvements, SCDOT is ahead of schedule on replacing 235 obsolete and structurally deficient bridges throughout the state. Greenville residents will soon see a bridge coming to McDaniel Avenue between Cleveland Street and Ridgeland Drive. Construction is set for July 6 and will replace the structurally deficient bridge over the Swamp Rabbit Trail and Reedy River with a new superstructure.
The trail will remain open through a detour route adjacent to the bridge replacement. The road will have to remain closed to traffic, as SCDOT will be completely replacing the bridge. The project is scheduled to take about six months to complete.
