In less than a decade, 42 people have died and more than 800 have been injured on U.S. 17 in Beaufort and Colleton counties.

Despite public outcry and millions of federal and local dollars, there is not enough money to fix the 22-mile stretch — long one of the deadliest highways in the state — between Jacksonboro and Gardens Corner.

Last week the state Department of Transportation announced it would have to put much of the $223 million project on hold after the state highway infrastructure bank refused to pay for it. DOT expects other work to drain agency savings by next summer, so the department reluctantly scaled back plans for U.S. 17.

“It’s just mind-boggling,” said Gerald Dawson, who represents the area on Beaufort County Council. “I don’t know what it’s going to take to get everybody involved... to get off their duffs and get this project funded.”

The proposed improvements would widen U.S. 17 to four lanes. Much of the highway is two lanes running through swamps and wetlands in the Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto rivers basin. The Gardens Corner interchange also would be renovated.

The road serves port traffic headed to Charleston and tourists going to Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Ga.

Beaufort County approved a local option sales tax to pay for $5 million of the project and increased impact fees. The federal government approved $10 million.

The project is symbolic of many of the questions now surrounding the future of the Department of Transportation.

An audit last month identified more than $50 million the agency has squandered through poorly written contracts, mismanagement or other causes. The agency has responded, claiming many of the audit’s conclusions were mistaken or the facts were overstated.

Likewise, DOT officials have criticized lawmakers for not increasing the state’s gas tax — which pays for projects and department operations — since 1987.

With residents driving less and driving vehicles with better fuel efficiency, DOT officials said, gas tax revenues have been flat.

Three legislative committees are reviewing the audit. Many lawmakers and Gov. Mark Sanford are pushing to reform the agency. Lawmakers have said they will not increase DOT funding until they are sure the agency is spending money properly.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, chairman Tee Hooper’s request that staff compile a list of highway projects ranked by engineering, safety or other needs — and not politics — sparked opposition among commissioners about how projects should be selected.

DOT currently has no such list. One commissioner suggested Hooper have state engineers, rather than residents, determine what roads are needed.

That debate happened just minutes after the commission spiked plans for U.S. 17.

Instead, the state will use the money it has to buy land and design as much of the project as possible.

“We still believe it’s a very high priority — maybe the highest priority in terms of safety,” Hooper said. “We’re constrained. We’re going to do the best we can to position it to get it to move forward.”

Commissioner John Hardee, who represents Beaufort County, said it would take 12 to 18 months to buy the land, and money for the rest of the project might be available by then.

Dawson, the Beaufort council member, said DOT and the infrastructure bank were avoiding responsibility.

“It’s a political game,” he said.

Arden Lommen of Walterboro drove U.S. 17 last week to visit a relative in Beaufort. Lommen said officials should take a “suicide walk” along the highway.

“If they’d walk it once, they’d know you have trouble on that road,” he said. “That’s a complete tragedy.”

In the meantime, residents will have to rely on safety improvements made since 2005. Those include increased Highway Patrol enforcement, new reflector and rumble strips and dropping the speed limit to 50 mph.

Those changes have helped, Dataw Island resident George Johnston said, and the number of deaths has declined.

“It is a shame the state will not find funds for 17,” he said. “In lieu of that, they had best keep the pressure on the law enforcement.”

Reach O’Connor at (803) 771-8358.