COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – The General Assembly tasked the South Carolina Department of Transportation with making their Momentum 2050 Plan. The plan outlines goals and future improvements the South Carolina Department of Transportation wants to make.
“Yeah, it is a good way off 2050. But if we don’t start funding and preparing and permitting now, we’re never going to get there, ” said Sen. Larry Grooms, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee (R – Berkeley).
The S.C. Department of Transportation said the state has changed drastically since the last plan was made. Secretary at SCDOT, Justin Powell said after the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been 360,000 new residents who have come to the Palmetto State.
They are expecting a million more new residents within the next 20 years.
“The questions are not about the pothole anymore. It’s the ‘I can’t get across town like I used to,’ it’s those questions,” Powell said.
Grooms said they are committed to working with SCDOT on funding.
“We underfunded our roads for about 25 years. So, for 25 years in a row, our roads got worse, and now that we’re getting too good, getting our handle, getting a handle on that, now we need to understand we have to do more to be able to expand the network,” said Grooms.
“Our roads have to be safe, and any unsafe bridges have to be repaired,” Grooms added. “Now, we know others are aging out, so coming up with a schedule of which bridges get replaced and that’s essential in having the revenue to do it.”
Another key issue addressed was railroad repairs and crossings.
