By RICK BRUNDRETT
Special to the Chronicle
Lexington County drivers pay 8 cents a gallon more for gas but get less than promised.
Since the gas tax hike started in 2017, $15.6 million has been spent on Lexington County roads.
That's only 42.9% of what SC officials promised.
Department of Transportation records show that from July 1, 2017 to July 31, 2020, completed paving projects was less than half of the estimated costs of all projects.
More than half of the state’s 46 counties fell below the 50% mark, including larger counties such as Lexington and Richland.
The state continues to sit on a huge surplus of gas tax revenue. 
As of July 31, a special fund created with the law had a cash balance of $604.2 million,
That's 45.2% of the $1.3 billion in total collections since the law took effect.
The gas-tax-hike law raised the state gas tax 12 cents a gallon over six years – a 75% jump from the base 16 cents – plus increased other vehicle taxes and fees.
Lawmakers promised the money would be used to fix the state’s crumbling roads and bridges.
The DOT has said 80% of the state’s 42,000 miles of roads need resurfacing or rebuilding, and identified 465 out of 750 bridges to be replaced.
The SC Policy Council contends the gas-tax-hike law was written in a way to allow DOT to divert revenues to the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank to pay off bond debts. 
The STIB has funneled billions of dollars to large construction projects in favored counties.
Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve.org). Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org.