Staff Report
Published Aug. 18, 2011

The S.C. Department of Transportation has been awarded $9.2 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration for 11 projects across South Carolina, including $2 million for upgrades to Interstate 20 in Kershaw County.

South Carolina’s funding also included these projects:

• Resurface campground roads to improve safety and access on the Hamilton Branch State Recreation Area in McCormick County – $2.5 million.
• Acquire four parcels of land for the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway Scenic Protection Project – $1.48 million.
• Construct a 4.6-mile-long, 12-foot-wide, multiuse bike and pedestrian trail on the Beaufort Rail Trail/Green Corridor – $1 million.
• Reconstruct S.C. 773 from I-26 to Route 521 using precast concrete – $794,000.
• Expand existing bicycle paths, including lane widening, on the Edisto Island National Scenic Byway – $635,500.
• Construct additional pullover and turnout areas on Edisto Island National Scenic Byway to improve safety for travelers and residents – $269,280.
• Provide transportation career training programs – $198,675.
• Reconstruct Road S-86 Bridge over Big Brown Creek with prefabricated bridge elements – $150,000.
• Continue training and education activities for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms – $108,068.
• Implement comprehensive updates, including inventory and photography, to the Corridor Management Plan for the Western York County Scenic Byway – $40,922.

The total for all of the S.C. projects was $9,223,767.

The highway administration invited states to apply in June for federal funding from 14 grant programs. Requests came in from every state, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. – more than 1,800 applications, totaling nearly $13 billion, which is more than 30 times the funds available.