South Carolina's deadly secondary roads could become a little safer

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U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's office said a program that for the past two years effectively gave the state a more favorable reimbursement percentage on state road improvements was set to expire this year. With Thursday's action, it will be extended for two years.

South Carolina is the only state that will get what amounts to 90 percent reimbursement on money it spends to match federal highway dollars, DeMint's office said. The rate would have been 80 percent otherwise, officials said.

"Although our prospects didn't look good at first, we pushed hard and got what we wanted," DeMint said. "I'm very pleased the administration made this decision today. Getting flexibility for South Carolina road dollars has been one of my top priorities and I'm very proud we got this done."

Michael Covington, deputy director of the South Carolina Department of Transportation, said the money will be used to widen lanes, improve intersections and make other improvements on rural roads across the state — including many in Greenville County and the Upstate.

"What we're very concerned about is the fatality rate in the state," he said. "We want to focus on programs that will reduce fatalities."

Although the pilot program has been in place for two years, the first year's money is just now coming in, Covington said.

The program will allow the state to count costs required to meet federal standards on state roads as part of its matching money, which will free up $47 million a year over the next two years, beginning in October, officials said.

South Carolina gets about $450 million a year in federal highway money, according to DeMint's office.

"We're not going to be able to do a whole lot with the amount of money this generates but it is a great shot in the arm compared to what we've had in the past," Covington said.