SCDOT gives update to Optimists

By Rick Abercrombie

Two representatives from the South Carolina Department of Transportation spoke to St. Andrews Optimists September 19. Adriane Radeker, Public Outreach Manager, provided some historical background, leading up to current projects in motion and future plans. Derek Frick, Construction Engineer, added insights about the technical aspects of those ongoing projects.

First, the history: In the mid-20rh century, South Carolina’s massive agricultural industry created demands for a thorough farm-to-market state maintained road system. As a result, the State now features the fourth largest road system in the entire U.S. When the majority of those roadways were of the two-lane makeup, traffic accidents often were head-on.

The demands placed on the State’s roadways have since increased exponentially. Large industries establishing S.C. sites; the explosive growth of the Port of Charleston; a thriving tourist industry; the emergence of the State as a highly-desired retirement destination; and the understandable population growth are the factors necessitating multiple projects statewide. The most visible of those locally is, of course, Carolina Crossroads.

Two recent factors have been added to an already ambitious task list. The port of Charleston is now the largest, busiest port on the East Coast. Secondly, the emergence of electric vehicles means another weight-related factor. An average EV sedan can weigh as much as 50 percent more than its gasoline-powered equivalent.

SCDOT’s 4,500 employees, mostly home-grown, are responsible for 41,000 miles of functioning highways and must maintain 8,400 bridges. Adding to those demands is the catch-up burden of overcoming 30 years of deferred maintenance. A 2017 Bill addressed that backlog, and SCDOT is making encouraging progress in that challenge.

Some of those results:

1,209 miles of rural roadways improved