COLUMBIA – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn announced that South Carolina will receive $54.9 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation in fiscal year 2022 to repair bridges throughout the state. Currently in South Carolina, there are 745 bridges in poor condition. Because of historic lack of investment, the American Society of Civil Engineers has given South Carolina bridges a C on its infrastructure report card.
Funding for these bridges was determined by the largest bridge formula program in American history, which was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Congressman Clyburn helped pass. All House Republican members representing South Carolina voted against approving these federal investments for the state’s bridges. Only one South Carolina Senator voted for this funding in the Senate.
“This funding is long overdue for our state, and I am pleased that the Biden-Harris Administration has made fixing our bridges a high priority,” said Congressman Clyburn. “This historic investment will ensure that our communities have safe and reliable bridges for not only drivers, but pedestrians and cyclists alike. These upgrades will also create several good paying jobs for South Carolinians and further help bolster our growing economy.”
Under this new formula funding program, South Carolina can expect to receive $274.3 million over 5 years for bridge upgrades. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will also make it easier for counties and cities to use federal funds to fix non-federally owned bridges. Nationally, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide more than $27 billion to fix approximately 15,000 bridges over 5 years.
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