Palmetto State News

Gov. Henry McMaster recently called for an Interstate 73 expansion in South Carolina. 

McMaster was joined by South Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall, Horry County elected officials and General Assembly members in announcing a proposed $300 million investment would be funded through a combination of the state's share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and non-recurring dollars from the state's projected $1 billion budget surplus for the fiscal year 2022, according to a press release from the governor's office.

"Today I am proposing that the state of South Carolina commits $300 million to the expansion of I-73," McMaster tweeted Oct. 4. "If we seize this moment by thinking big, being bold, and making transformative investments, I believe we can change South Carolina's future for the better."

The estimated cost is $1.6 billion and up to $453 million of ARPA funding for the state can be utilized to fund road projects, according to the governor's office release.

"The improved movement of freight, people, goods, and visitors that will be brought about by I-73 is essential in this area," Hall said in the governor's office release. "If you think about the connection to the new port in Dillon, all of those elements come together to create a true multimodal movement of goods and people in this area. I echo the governor’s call to invest in this very important project. 

"We are ready to move forward with phase 1 of this project with an initial investment of $300 million to build the segment from I-95 to US 501.”