(Washington, DC) – Sixth District Congressman James E. Clyburn has secured $24 million for transportation projects in the Sixth Congressional District in the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), locally referred to as the "highway bill." This massive $286.5 billion legislation is the result of two years of negotiation among the authorization Committees in the House, the Senate and the White House. This legislation is expected to pass the House before midnight on Thursday.
As a donor state, South Carolina has long been interested in improving the rate of return for the federal gas tax collected. Under the new bill, the minimum guarantee would remain at the current 90.5% for Fiscal Year 2006, and then rise to 91.5% in 2007, and to 92% in 2008.
The Congressional High Priority funding includes the following:
Briggs-DeLaine-Pearson Connector $16.08 Million
Lower Richland RoadProjects (Phase 1) $560,000
Pine Needles – Florence $1.6 Million
Highway 21- Orangeburg $560,000
South CarolinaStateUniversity $5.2 Million
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Additionally, South CarolinaStateUniversity's University Transportation Center (UTC) received $1 million per year for the next two years to continue operating its current programs. In the remaining three years of this legislation, they will compete with the other authorized UTCs nationwide for their operating costs.
"For many years I have been on public record as supporting these investments," Congressman Clyburn said. "These requests will go a long way towards improving the safety and quality of life for my constituents and others throughout our state."
The conference report must be agreed to by the Senate and signed by the President before becoming law.
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