State work crews patched about 43,000 potholes from Jan. 10 to Feb. 3.

This was a rough estimate during the Department of Transportation’s heavily promoted “Pothole Blitz.”

DOT head Christy Hall noted the total number was an estimate “based on a calculation” by DOT’s engineering division.

It was not an actual count or listed by county.

How many were in Lexington County was not revealed.

Hall said filling potholes during “wet weather or winter months,” is “intended to be a temporary repair.”

She said roads with more than 20% in need of patching are classified for reconstruction “from the foundation up.”

The state raised gas taxes in July 2017 by 12 cents a gallon over 6 years, and increased other vehicle taxes.

Yet relatively little has been spent to fix South Carolina’s crumbling roads and bridges despite lawmakers’ promises that would be done.

Of nearly $505.7 million collected as of Dec. 31, about $63.7 million, or less than 13% of the total, was spent on “external” projects.

About $15 million, or nearly 25% of the total $61.4 million paid to road contractors went for “preservation” projects – not major repairs.

DOT has said that:

• More than 80% of the state’s 42,000 miles of roads needs to be resurfaced or rebuilt.

• 465 out of 750 “structurally deficient” bridges must be replaced.

DOT officials have said they plan to spend more than a third of gas-tax-hike money through 2027 on interstates.

The Nerve submitted a state Freedom of Information Act request for a county breakdown of citizen requests during the Pothole Blitz, the number of potholes filled and the total cost.

No records have been provided yet.

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