Latest news with #SouthCarolinaDepartmentofTransportation
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
SCDOT receives over $200 million for bridge, road, and Helene repair
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – We often hear from drivers that they want to see more money put into the roads in South Carolina, and now it's happening. The South Carolina Department of Transportation asked for $200 million from the general assembly for roads and bridges, and they got it along with a bonus of $35 million to help areas affected by Hurricane Helene. 'I have to change my windshield ever other year due to rocks getting kicked up and cracking my window, and there's a pothole on about every street. They repair it by just putting a cone in it,' said Mike Cobb, a South Carolina Resident. 'Roads for sure fixing some of the potholes around the train tracks, so I've popped a couple tires,' said Matthew Coven, another South Carolina Resident. State Transportation Secretary Justin Powell said the money will go towards improving bridges and roads across the state. He said South Carolina's infrastructure has to keep up with its growing population of more than 5 million people. 'We've been making a lot of investments in our interstate system. You see projects happening on I-85, I-26, I-77 across the state in terms of trying to deal with the growth that's coming from not only the population coming,' said Powell. He added they are listening to South Carolinians and are working on pavements and potholes. 'Making an announcement on I-95 real soon and Buford, Jasper area, but we have projects happening in the Charleston metro area. Bridge projects, safety projects, same thing. Myrtle Beach, Columbia metro area'…. 'We now have over 9,000 miles paving projects either underway or completed across South Carolina, and our commission just approved adding another 700 miles.' Powell points out that the state went three decades without proper road maintenance, saying this is a step toward continued improvements. 'We're actively moving, to catch up on that deferred maintenance that we're seeing across South Carolina, and that's why you see this, dramatic ramp up in road construction happening.' Powell said this is just one phase of a long-term plan to get the state's infrastructure where it needs to be. Governor McMaster said most of South Carolina's roads are state-owned and, while fixing them will take time, progress is being made. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
SCDOT settles lawsuit over missing guardrail with family of teen killed in 2021 crash
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Parents of an Upstate teen killed in a 2021 crash have settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the South Carolina Department of Transportation over a missing guardrail which they claimed contributed to the crash. 16-year-old Kolson Elliott died April 27, 2021 when the car he was driving ran off of Drayton Road while trying to avoid a collision, down an embankment, and into Lawsons Fork Creek. The lawsuit stated that the bridge over Lawsons Fork Creek did not have guardrails to protect from a vehicle going down the embankment as required by South Carolina law. The suit also claimed that the SCDOT was aware for years prior to the crash that the bridge was not up to safety standards. Elliott was not seriously injured in the crash but drowned in the creek, the lawsuit went on to say. He was a 10th grade student and basketball player at Boiling Springs High School at the time of his death. According to court documents filed Tuesday, SCDOT will pay $350,000 the family of Kolson Elliott to settle the suit. Elliot's family previously received $750,000 as part of a separate wrongful death lawsuit settlement in 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Charleston City Council discusses taking ownership of a portion Maybank Highway, adding a new lane
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston City Council members discussed taking control of a portion of Maybank Highway Wednesday which would allow them to add a new lane. During the Traffic and Transportation committee meeting, Mayor William Cogswell presented members with a proposal to take ownership of the stretch from River Road to the Paul Gelegotis bridge. The road is currently owned by the South Carolina Department of Transportation. 'My wife works at MUSC downtown, I know that she is often frustrated by the traffic situation. So, I think that adding another lane would be beneficial,' Kevin Gillen, a Johns Island resident, said. Nearby residents, like Gillen, told News 2, they are in favor of getting the additional lane as traffic can back up during peak hours. Officials said by owning this section, it can enable them to cut through red tape and expedite the process. 'So, what we're proposing is narrowing the lanes, but also slowing the speed limit so that people are safe. If you have an 11 foot lane you're not going 40 miles an hour. You're going 25 miles an hour,' Cogswell said. 'What that will do though is it may slow you down but the throughput is going to be obviously a lot more than just one lane.' Current designs from Charleston County and the SCDOT show the project taking over two years and the removal of many grand oak trees along the road. The city would be able to go around the requirements of the lane widths while maintaining safety and the trees. Additionally, this project would require funding from the County, which may come from money set aside from the 526 project. The settlement may allot for around $15 million. Gillen added living on Fenwick Hall Allee has allowed to get him and his wife to travel off the island faster, especially with the majority of the traffic being past the River Road zipper merge. 'It's one of the reasons why we picked the location we're in is that we knew it would be a short trip on Maybank to get to the bridge. My wife knew that because of the situation further down on Maybank. We've see a lot of growth here on the island, so I'm sure as more people move in and the population increases – it just makes sense to put another lane in to plan for the additional traffic that's coming.' The mayor said this is a quicker, cost-effective solution to an issue that affects many coming off of Johns Island. 'This is a real bottleneck, a real problem that's not going away anytime soon in fact it's only getting worse. I think it's incumbent on us in local government to try and address this as quickly as possible,' Cogswell said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Local leaders set to discuss updates on Folly Road safety improvements
JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – The Rethink Folly Road committee is set to share updates on several safety improvements Wednesday at James Island Town Hall. The Folly Road safety project is preparing for its second public input meeting, but local leaders are meeting ahead of time to give updates since the last meeting in March. The entire effort comes from multiple agencies including the Town of James Island, City of Charleston, Charleston County, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Since November, SCDOT has been analyzing many safety measures to put on the road for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. 'The raised medians is to control the access and encourage safer movements to use existing signals. To kind of restrict the left turn movement out of some of the properties because the angle crashes are the ones that produce the highest severity of the crashes,' Shawn Salley, program manager at SCDOT, said. 'So, that's what the intent of the median is to reduce those crashes and improve safety in the area.' The agency conducted a road safety assessment from 2018 to 2022 and found over 2,000 crashes and six fatalities occurred on the roadway. This called prompted them to step up with local leaders to address and remedy the concerns. SCDOT plans to implement several safety measures: High visibility crosswalks Sidewalks and ADA ramps Countdown signal heads Access management CARTA bus stop relocations Lane reconfigurations Raised medians 'The Fort Johnson Road Folly Road intersection to me is the scariest one of all the intersections. I don't think they have any kind of median strip there,' Barbara Atkins, a Folly Beach resident, said. 'I think it did help over here by Camp Road, but again we don't have one there.' Atkins added that she and her husband do feel unsafe driving on Folly Road because of the many access points and unsafe speeds. Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves, said speeding is also an issue for those on foot or biking. 'It also just contributes to making the area feel generally uncomfortable and unsafe. So, when you cross the street – you're going to have to jog to do it, if you're in the bike lane you're right up against fast moving traffic. It's an uncomfortable space that desperately needs improvement, not just from a safety aspect but as the main street of James Island. I think it should function better for everybody,' said Zimmerman. The SCDOT has gathered feedback from all involved agencies, residents, business owners, and advocacy groups. The final concepts are expected to shown during the public input meeting using that feedback. The committee is expected to meet at 3 p.m. at James Island Town Hall. The SCDOT public input meeting will be on May 22 at Camp Road Middle School from 5-7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SCDOT temporarily several roads due to flooding in Allendale County
ALLENDALE COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation has closed and detoured parts of SC 3 and US 278 in Allendale County due to flooding. A map of the closures can be found below. Drivers should seek alternate routes. SCDOT reminds drivers to never drive through standing water. To report an issue on a state-maintained roadway, call 855-467-2368. SCDOT encourages drivers to check our Roadway Conditions Website to keep up with any weather-related closures. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
