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City hears progress report on Tribute Parkway; contractor near 60% complete, Phase 2 awaits SCDOT sign‑offs
Summary
City staff and the project manager told the Aiken City Council that Phase 1 of Tribute Parkway is roughly 60% complete with stormwater ponds nearly finished and an August 2026 wrap‑up targeted; Phase 2 timing depends on SCDOT approvals and right‑of‑way work. Funding sources reported include CPST, the Transportation Infrastructure Bank and an $8 million FHWA award.
The Aiken City Council received a construction update on Tribute Parkway on Jan. 12, with the project manager saying work is progressing on schedule and the city and contractor expect completion of the current phase in August 2026.
"Right now, we're about 60% of the way there," Oliver Weston, project manager for the firm working on the project, told the council during a status presentation. Weston said the contractor issued a notice to proceed in April and the project is on a 465‑calendar‑day schedule. He described curb and gutter installation and stormwater ponds that staff said are about "90% of the way done."
City staff and the project team also discussed Phase 2, saying that work remains subject to South Carolina Department of Transportation review and right‑of‑way acquisition. "Phase 2, we're working with DOT to address some final comments," Weston said, adding that final plans and an annexation step for the road right‑of‑way need to be completed before construction can begin; staff said an early‑summer 2026 start was the current target for that next phase.
Council members asked whether anything had arisen that would delay the August 2026 completion date for the current work; Weston and staff said they were not aware of such issues and that contractors were "working very diligently to hit that date."
Staff described the major funding sources for the project. The presentation said roughly $8 million came from round 4 of the Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) ballot funding, the Transportation Infrastructure Bank allocated about $21–22 million for the project, and an $8 million Federal Highway Administration grant for Phase 2 had been obligated by the Sept. 30, 2025 deadline. "It's a 40‑plus million dollar project, fully funded," the staff presentation said.
Council members, developers and staff will continue to coordinate with SCDOT on signal work, a proposed right‑turn lane and driveway/turn‑lane improvements tied to the roadway connection at Whiskey Road and South Centennial Parkway. The council received the presentation with no formal motion; staff said they will return with required permitting and right‑of‑way updates as they proceed.
