COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina will spend $642 million repaving roads through the end of 2022, the state Department of Transportation said.
The money comes from the latest two-cent increase in the state gas tax that goes into effect in July. Lawmakers passed a 12-cent increase in 2017, raising the tax by two cents over six years.
The $642 million will pay to repair and resurface nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of roads over the next 18 months, SCDOT said in a statement.
Roads from interstates to neighborhood streets will get a new surface with the agency choosing projects based on rankings that include safety and crash data, the condition and age of the road and traffic information. There are projects in all 46 South Carolina counties.
The agency will also hold public hearings on what it calls its Pavement Improvement Program, which is posted on SCDOT's website.
“We are committed to full transparency in how we select and construct projects,” said SCDOT Secretary Christy Hall said in a statement.
The latest round of paving projects will mean SCDOT has spent nearly $2 billion on resurfacing roads since the gas tax was passed.
The state is also spending around $1.7 billion on other projects to expand roads or make them safer.