Lexington County leaders approve county transportation plan, add $6 million resurfacing for reconsideration

Lexington County Council voted Wednesday to approve a countywide Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) as presented by Public Works staff and asked administration to return to council with funding options, while separately placing a proposed $6 million one-time resurfacing allocation on the budget reconsideration list.

The presentation by a Public Works presenter, identified in the meeting as Brent, laid out the county’s road maintenance shortfalls and a proposal for a county TIP. “To implement a 20 year, pavement maintenance cycle, which is the design life of an asphalt road, it would take about $18,000,000 annually,” Brent said during his presentation. He told council the department currently resurfaces about six miles per year and that the county’s maintenance cycle had stretched to “north of 120 years.”

Why it matters: The TIP will let the county evaluate its multi-jurisdictional road system, identify short- and long-term projects, and seek funding eligibility for projects that are currently not addressed through state or regional plans. Councilmembers flagged that one-time allocations without sustained revenue would not stop deterioration. Brent recommended $500,000 in one-time funds to develop the TIP and explained the plan would “identify corridors to protect” and “incorporate analysis of transportation conditions related to traffic, congestion, and safety.”

Council action and debate: Councilmember [name recorded as making the motion] moved to approve the TIP “as presented.” The motion carried unanimously. Council then separately considered a county resurfacing request. Brent said the initial staff request submitted in February asked for $6,000,000 in one-time funds to accelerate rehabilitation of the worst roads; he said that would shorten an 8–10 year completion timeline to about four years for the worst segments. After discussion — including questions about whether the county could sustain an $18 million per-year program and comparisons to other counties that use sales taxes or vehicle fees — council moved to add the $6,000,000 allocation to the reconsideration list for further funding discussion; that motion also passed by recorded voice vote.

Details and context: Public Works told council that Lexington County has more than 2,800 miles of public roads; the department maintains roughly 1,300 miles, 700 of which are paved. Staff said only 40% of paved roads are rated in good condition, combining county and state-rated roads. Public Works summarized existing funding: county resurfacing projects rely on S.C. C funds (state gas-tax distributions) and the county has historically allocated between $2.5 million and $3 million of its C funds to resurfacing, well short of the $18 million annual lifecycle funding staff described as needed.

Next steps: Council approved the TIP and asked administration and staff to return with specific funding recommendations. The $6 million resurfacing allocation will be considered again in the budget reconsideration process; council and staff noted that a one-time allocation would need follow‑up commitments to sustain a multi-year maintenance cycle.