SC officials report spending $3,402,852 in gas tax money in Lexington County.

Columbia and Richland County got $3,099,401.

Greenville got the most at $10,579,930, followed by Jasper at $7,262,724 and Berkeley at $6,724,589.

Through March, the Department of Transportation had completed no road reconstruction or significant repaving projects in more than half of the counties.

Yet the gas-tax law took effect nearly 2 years ago.

The balance in the state maintenance fund was $466.7 million, nearly 76% of the $615.2 million in total revenues collected since the law took effect in 2017.

The amount of unspent funds has grown by more than 56% since the state gas tax rose another 2 cents a gallon last July.

Lawmakers promised in raising the gas tax 12 cents over 6 years and other vehicle taxes that the money would be used to fix crumbling roads and bridges.

DOT has said 80% of the state’s 42,000 miles of roads needs resurfacing or rebuilding, and 465 bridges need to be replaced.

Our review of DOT records found that through March 31, there were no completed “pavements” projects in 26 of South Carolina’s 46 counties.

Overall, about 102.5 miles or 4.4% of 2,305 miles of “pavements” projects had been completed.

DOT has identified over $1 billion in road and bridge work – nearly a quarter of which is designated as interstate widening.

State senators are trying to fast-track a bill to allow DOT to impose tolls to finance road project.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve www.thenerve.org . Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .