Motivation Moment with

Dusty Turner

At a recent Laurens County safety meeting, District Maintenance Engineer Dusty Turner shared some words of wisdom with the crew.

Watch the video here.

Widening Historic Coastal Highway U.S. 17

In Jasper County, historic coastal highway U.S. 17 is being transformed. SCDOT is widening more than four miles of U.S. 17 between S.C. 315 and the Georgia Border. Widening U.S. 17 will better accommodate traffic and allow for continued commercial growth in Jasper County and the surrounding corridor.

Watch th e video here.

SCDOT Begins Work to Transform South Main Street Corridor

Officials gathered at 801 South Main Street in Columbia on Thursday, February 23, 2023, to break ground on the South Main Street Revitalization Project. When complete, the project will improve pedestrian safety and the appearance of South Main Street between Blossom and Pendleton Street. The project will reduce the number of vehicle lanes to two, add wider sidewalks, install bicycle lanes, bury utility lines, and plant new trees. This project is a partnership among SCDOT, the State of South Carolina, the City of Columbia, Richland County, FHWA, and the University of South Carolina.

Three SHEP Responders Recognized for Customer Service

State Highway Emergency Program (SHEP) responders work tirelessly to help stranded motorists. They change tires, move stranded vehicles out of traffic, clear debris, and assist with traffic control and incident management.

The three SHEP responders in 2022 receiving the highest volume of positive customer comment cards were William (Bill) Perper, Dale Frasier, and Michael Rowe. Here are a few of the positive comments they received:

“William was absolutely wonderful. Pleasant and very knowledgeable. Efficient and saved the day for me.”

“Dale was extremely polite, professional and right to the point about helping us replace our tire. He climbed under our van even to help retrieve the spare. We were back on the road in about 10 minutes.”

“Mike was a Godsend. Both my wife and I are disabled, so the help Mike provided was a blessing. He was extremely courteous, professional and efficient. He gave us a SHEP pamphlet which we will keep in our vehicle from now on.”

Check out the video to hear what they had to say about working as SHEP responders and being recognized for their passion and service.

SHEP was founded in 1996 and has grown to a team of more than 60 employees across the state. Motorists stranded in an assistance area can dial *47 or use the SCDOT 511 app to request help from a SHEP responder. Learn more about SHEP on the SCDOT website.

Project Update: U.S. 1 Over I-20

The U.S. 1 over I-20 Improvement Project, designed to improve traffic flow at the heart of the Midlands, recently reached a milestone. Concrete has been poured to form a new bridge that makes the connection between the City of Columbia and the Town of Lexington stronger than ever.

Watch the video here.

Throwback to 1958: U.S. 17 Widening Nears Completion in Myrtle Beach

In July 1958, a 3.4 mile widening project of U.S. Route 17 was nearing completion in Myrtle Beach. The widening project ran from U.S. Route 501 north to the entrance of the then-active Air Force Base, making way for the economic and tourism growth that would build the Myrtle Beach we know today.

Source: July 1958 issue of Carolina Highways, a publication of the South Carolina State Highway Department

It’s a Sign – SCDOT is Hiring

In May 2021, Brad Trout, District Maintenance Engineer at District 4, was asked to step in as acting resident maintenance engineer in York County to help the county get back on track. The county maintenance unit was struggling, and it didn’t take Trout long to figure out why. When Trout took over, York County Maintenance had nearly a 40 percent vacancy rate.

York Maintenance had plenty of jobs available, but the office was challenged to find qualified applicants, especially when large employers in the area were also recruiting. Being short-staffed was taking a toll on the morale of the employees who did work there.

One day, walking around the maintenance yard, a thought occurred to Trout. What if he used movable message boards to advertise for employees?

The message boards were on hand for traffic needs, but at the moment they weren’t being used. After spending a little time working out the idea, he went for it.

Trout had message boards placed at two locations in York County in August 2022, advertising open interviews the following week.

When interview day came, Trout waited for applicants to come through the door at York Maintenance. Following an on-the-spot interview and prequalification, job candidates were given the opportunity to complete the required state job application form. It went so well, that they tried it again the next week. More applicants showed up. They were onto something.

District Engineering Administrator Jason Johnston expanded on the idea, putting up boards in other counties. Soon, vacancy rates all across District 4 were declining.

After just six months, 31 employees were hired after seeing vacancies posted on the message boards. York maintenance has had a 13.6 percent reduction in vacancies, and other District 4 counties have seen similar reductions. With more hands to share the workload, employee morale has noticeably improved.

“I’m glad we could use available resources to spread the message that SCDOT is hiring,” Trout said. “The message boards have been great in getting the word out to the public.”

Working at SCDOT is a Holladay Family Tradition

Brothers Walter and Stan Holladay are resident maintenance engineers at SCDOT. Their cousin, Coleman "Coley" Holladay is also an SCDOT resident maintenance engineer. Walter is in Orangeburg County, Stan is in Allendale County, and Coley is in Clarendon County.

Watch the video here.