Rep. Bobby Harrell, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, is putting his considerable legislative weight behind a plan to gradually increase revenues for badly needed secondary road maintenance. Eventually, Rep. Harrell's plan would bring in an additional $90 million a year for road maintenance. While that will be a great help for the Department of Transportation, the condition of secondary roads and the backlog of work says more is needed.

The Legislature should approve Rep. Harrell's proposal to shift existing road-related funding to the maintenance budget. It also should provide additional revenue with a gas tax hike.

The gasoline tax, one of the lowest in the nation at 16-cents per gallon, would be more accurately described as a user fee. As such it should be sufficient to pay for the wear and tear on state highways. Based on the latest estimates from the state Department of Transportation it falls woefully short.

The annual deficit for highway needs is estimated at $2.6 billion. Of that amount, the maintenance deficit is estimated at $500 million a year. Rep. Harrell's plan would begin to address the problem, but won't solve it. The Charleston Republican acknowledged as much in a column printed on our Commentary Page on Friday.

"Our roads did not get in this condition overnight and, likewise, the problem will not be fixed overnight," he wrote. "These vital funds will get us headed in the right direction."

At a recent media meeting with legislative leaders, there appeared to be a growing recognition of the maintenance problem on secondary roads and the need to move toward a solution this session. Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, noted that the continuing deterioration of state roads "relates to highway safety, economic development and the image of the state." South Carolina has one of the highest highway fatality rates in the nation, and most deaths occur on secondary roads.

Sen. Martin suggests that the state take an incremental approach to increasing the gasoline tax, a penny at the time, until an adequate funding level can be reached.

Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Beaufort, tells us more is needed. The state needs to raise $300 million a year to make a dent in the backlog. "The Legislature has got to have the guts to vote for a gas tax increase. We've been tweaking around the edges too long."

Each penny on the gas tax raises $28 million a year. The gas tax has remained unchanged since 1987.

The state can't continue to run maintenance deficits year after year. Secondary roads will continue to deteriorate, eventually to the extent of requiring more substantial, and more costly construction work. Unfortunately, federal money can't be used for most of the massive state-maintained road system in South Carolina.

The Legislature should advance a solution by providing additional revenues to the state Department of Transportation and earmarking them for maintenance. That plan should include Rep. Harrell's proposal. A gas tax hike, in addition, will be needed to finally get the show on the road.