The state has spent $1.3 million on Lexington County roads but that’s only 3.9% of what’s needed.

House budget writers have designated an extra $100 million next fiscal year to pave rural roads. Yet the Department of Transportation is sitting on a separate surplus of more than a halfbillion dollars.

As of Jan. 31, a fund created with the state gas-taxhike law had a cash balance of nearly $500.6 million, according to agency records.

That’s 46% of the $1.08 billion collected since the 2017 law took effect.

Gas taxes collected are more than 82% of total project “commitments” listed by DOT. Yet, less than 44% of the money - about $475.4 million - has been spent on repairs in the first 31 months of the law.

Our latest review found that identified paving projects of about $287.5 million were completed as of Jan. 31. That’s less than 32% of $907.2 million estimated cost of all such projects.

No new paving projects were completed in 40 counties since December.

In 16 counties, completed paving projects accounted for less than 20% of estimated costs of all such projects in those counties by Jan. 31.

That includes Lexington and Richland counties.

$77 million in projected surplus revenue has been approved for rural roads.

Another $23 million was approved for rural roads through County Transportation Committees controlled by county lawmakers.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, RFlorence, last year created a Special Interstate Subcommittee to study accelerating interstate expansion.

Leatherman is chairman of the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee and sits on the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank (STIB) board. His family is in the concrete business.

The STIB board has funneled billions of dollars to large construction projects in select counties.

Brundrett is news editor of The Nerve www.thenerve.org . Contact him at rick@thenerve.org .