Your Money, Your Roads

The Dorchester County Penny Sales Tax Transportation Authority met Monday, Aug. 8, and discussed the progress of its road projects in the area.

According to authority member and finance Chair Ralph James, the authority has about $196 million as of July 31, with total, slated expenditures of about $134 million. 

Dorchester Road

Clearing the right of way and utility relocation work is underway, according to Dukes. 

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Bacons Bridge Road

This $25 million project has $17 million in federal funding, according to Dukes. The road plans are expected in the next two weeks, and all right of ways have been acquired for Phase 1 of the project.

BCD Council of Governments has signed a letter of support for the project, and Dukes said county council and Summerville town council are expected to pass resolutions at their next meetings supporting the project, Dukes said. 

This project would widen Highway 165, also known as Bacons Bridge Road, from two to five lanes with paved and grass shoulders from south of S.C. 61 to Ashley River Bridge and from two to five lanes with curb and gutter from Ashley River Bridge to end of project. It will affect 3.6 miles of Bacons Bridge Road.

Also, the authority will construct a 10-foot multi-use path on the east side of roadway from Ashley River Bridge to Jimbo Road, an eight-foot multi-use path from Jimbo Road to end of project, and an eight-foot multi-use path on the west side of roadway from Sawmill Branch Parking area to end of project.

For more information on this project, click here. 

Old Fort Road

This project, near Palmetto Commerce Parkway, has undergone evaluation by the State Historic Preservation Office due to it going across rice fields dating back to the early 1700s, Dukes said. 

The office has agreed for the project to continue, so long as the authority agrees to $42,000 in public signage and educational materials of the rice fields, according to Dukes. 

"It's just for educational and saving history," Dukes said.

While the authority members balked at the additional cost ("It's just a waste of money," J.D. Allston said; Robby Robbins feigned to have the public "raise hell" by stopping the project all together), Dukes said that the only way to proceed with the project is to agree to the State Historic Preservation Office's terms. 

"We don't really have an alternative other than to satisfy SHPO," he said.

The project should be ready to be bid on in October or November, according to Dukes.

Click here to learn more about the project. 

To view a complete list of projects and their statuses, click here.