SCDOT is Committed to Keeping Your Roads Safe And Your Communities Connected

SCDOT is committed to improving safety, maintaining roads and bridges, and connecting communities across all 46 counties. The roads we build and maintain take us to work, bring our kids home safely from school, and carry our economy forward.

For us, progress means making sure you make it home. Our Rural Road Safety program targets the state’s highest risk corridors – reducing crashes and saving lives.

In early October, maintenance forces responded following a major collision on I-95 to work alongside our partners in law enforcement to reopen the interstate in less than 24 hours.

Through strong partnerships with local governments, planning organizations, and many others, SCDOT continues to strengthen infrastructure, improve transportation, and make a positive difference for all South Carolinians.

Turning To Safety Solutions at Orangeburg County Intersection

Less than a mile from the Orangeburg-Aiken county line, SCDOT contractors are working to make two busy trucking routes safer.

The intersection of SC 389 and SC 394, located outside of the town of Salley, is being turned into a roundabout to keep drivers safe and traffic flowing more efficiently. In the last five years, SCDOT has tracked close to two dozen crashes at the site, which is currently a four-way intersection, 13 of which led to injuries.

As construction continues at the intersection, flaggers and new signage will be used to direct traffic until the project is complete. Construction is on track to be completed in late 2027.

While SCDOT contractors work in the area, we ask that drivers slow down, watch out for the crews on site and give them plenty of space to work safely.

Safety Solutions Saving Lives in the

Lowcountry, Studies Show

Recent improvements on two busy Lowcountry highways are showing how engineering solutions from SCDOT are saving lives across South Carolina.

SCDOT recently finished studies on road safety assessment projects on St. James Avenue in Berkeley County and Dorchester Road in Dorchester County. Looking at the total number of crashes in the three years before and after these projects, we found that the number of overall crashes, particularly serious and deadly crashes, were greatly reduced.

In 2022, SCDOT added improved traffic signals, sidewalks and crosswalk markings and installed raised medians along the two highways. Since these upgrades were completed, the number of total crashes on St. James Avenue has fallen by 43%, including a 100% drop in deadly crashes. On Dorchester Road, total crashes have dropped 74%, including a 20% reduction in deadly crashes.

Currently, SCDOT has more than 30 similar safety improvement projects underway across the state.

From Your Front Door to the Highway:

Fixing Secondary Roads

Despite rising construction costs that now reach $630,000 per mile of two-lane road, SCDOT remains fully committed to repairing, rebuilding, and maintaining South Carolina’s infrastructure.

Since the 2017 Roads Bill passed, funding for our Pavement Improvement Program has more than doubled, allowing us to invest over $220 million annually into secondary roads and neighborhood streets - the roads that drivers rely on every day.

These investments are delivering clear results, boosting farm to market secondary roads rated in good condition from 19% to 33% since 2016.

To explore roads in your area that are set to be improved, visit the Pavement Improvement Program interactive map on SCDOT’s homepage.

More Than a Back Road: Replacing the Carter Road Bridge in Greenwood County

Crews are hard at work in Greenwood County, replacing the bridge on Carter Road over Ninety Six Creek.

This bridge serves everyday traffic as well as truck traffic through this area, connecting drivers to SC 34 and SC 246. The previous bridge, built in the 1950s, was supported by timber piles and consisted of several short spans.

The new bridge will be approximately 300 feet long and made entirely of concrete, with an expected lifespan of 100 years. Crews are currently drilling shafts for the bridge foundations. Once that work is complete, they will move on to constructing the bridge caps.

Construction is progressing steadily, and the project is expected to be complete by spring 2027.

Safety Improvements Underway on SC 183 in Pickens County

Crews in Pickens County just began work on a Road Departure Safety Project on SC 183. The work extends roughly 6.3 miles, starting at the Oconee and Pickens County line and stretching to the area near Hillrose Drive.

In South Carolina, 50% of roadway departure crashes end in fatal or serious injuries, and 43% of these crashes involve a vehicle hitting a tree or fixed object on the roadside. By completing this safety project, SCDOT is working toward reducing these numbers and creating a safer roadway for all drivers.

SC 183 will be repaved and will feature wider shoulders, new painted lines, and reflective markers, and the roadside will undergo selective tree clearing. Drivers traveling this stretch of SC 183 may already see crews clearing trees as work gets underway.

The project is currently 10% complete and is expected to wrap up in spring 2027.

Bridge Replacement and Pavement Improvements are Wrapping Up in York County

Rock Hill residents can look forward to a new bridge very soon. SCDOT contractors are almost done with construction for the bridge on the Zinker Road which runs over Fishing Creek.

But that’s not all, Zinker Road will also have a new look, sporting some fresh paving. The new bridge will no longer be load restricted and offer an improved foundation. It will also see an increased elevation of approximately ten feet.

Construction began in March of 2026 and is expected to wrap up by the end of November 2026. Crews are working hard to get this project complete for you, please continue to drive safely and slow down when entering the work zone.

Paving Improvements Nearly Complete in Chesterfield County

SCDOT contractors are hard at work for you and your family in Chesterfield County. Quite literally, a paving project is underway on Family Road in McBee.

Almost two miles of upgrades are in the works on this route. Motorists can soon look forward to a smoother ride and improved safety when travelling through the area.

Construction on this project began in October and is expected to wrap up in mid-November. As you and your family travel through the area, please slow down and watch for crews in this work zone.

This month's throwback takes us to Anderson County. Pictured above is Murray Avenue in the City of Anderson, taken in August 1955, after a widening project was completed on the route.

As the holiday season quickly approaches, it’s a great time to remind drivers to stay alert as shorter days and changing weather affect travel. SCDOT urges drivers to slow down in work zones as crews work to improve our roads.

Ahead of your travels, check your vehicle’s safety and plan your routes through the 511 SC app.

Let’s work together to keep all South Carolinians safe on our roads this holiday season.

Tony Magwood is the New District 1

Engineering Administrator

Tony Magwood has been promoted to District 1 Engineering Administrator.

Magwood started at SCDOT in 1997 through SCDOT’s Summer Internship Program. Since beginning his full-time career at the department, Magwood has held several positions, including Richland County Resident Maintenance Engineer and, most recently, District 1 Maintenance Engineer.

Mastering Machinery: SCDOT Operators

Shine at Regional Roadeo

SCDOT’s top equipment operators put their power and precision to the test at the 22^nd annual Southeastern Regional Equipment Operators Training Conference and Roadeo, held Oct. 6-8 in Virginia.

Demonstrating exceptional safety awareness and skill, SCDOT took home the second-place overall team award. Individual honors went to Brandon Varnadore of York Maintenance, William Blackwell of Kershaw Maintenance, Dustin Steen of Charleston Maintenance, and Jeremy Shrewsberry of District 4 in their respective events. Congratulations to our SCDOT team, and our individual winners!

Designed to reinforce work zone safety, and foster teamwork in a friendly, competitive setting, this annual gathering celebrates the front-line talent of state DOT operators across the Southeast.

Building on this success at this year’s event, SCDOT looks forward to hosting the regional event in Rock Hill in 2027 for the first time since 2015.

Pictured above: SCDOT’s Office of Alternative Delivery and Crowder Construction Company received the 2026 Crisis / Emergency Repair Award from DBIA on Nov. 5 for two emergency bridge replacements – US 76 in Oconee and US 278 in Jasper.