Special to the Chronicle
The state has spent $1,863,342.36 in gas taxes on Lexington County roads.
That’s an increase of about $500,000 since we reported gas tax spending last month.
Yet the county’s road improvements represent only 9.24% of contractor payments for reconstruction over the 28 months Lexington County drivers have been paying the tax.
In 9 other counties, less than 10% of total contractor payments went for reconstruction projects.
They were over Florence (7.91%), Georgetown (7.85%), Marlboro (7.5%), Darlington, (3.99%), Jasper (3.92%), Newberry (2.56%), Chesterfield (1.37%), Greenville (.5%), and Horry (.21%).
As of June 30, 2019, the Department of Transportation had $1 billion in reserves but sit on hundreds of millions in gas taxes.
Through Sept. 30, $875 million had been collected under the law, which raised the state gas tax 12 cents a gallon over 6 years and increased other vehicle taxes.
More than half of the revenue – $454.1 million – had not been spent as of that date, according to DOT.
Despite lawmakers’ promises to repair bad roads and bridges, DOT has designated $246 million in gas-tax-hike revenues, or nearly a quarter of $1.1 billion in project “commitments,” for interstate widenings.
 Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org