COLUMBIA - A state lawmaker is calling for an inquiry into why South Carolina paid more than $250 million to private consultants to work on 72 road and bridge projects around the state.

Sen. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, wants the Legislative Audit Council to review two contracts awarded by the state Department of Transportation in 1999 for work on $1.5 billion worth of accelerated construction projects.

DOT officials said they would have had to hire 500 additional workers if the agency completed the work itself. An analysis by The Greenville News, however, showed that hiring the extra workers would have cost about $168 million over seven years, $90 million less than the amount awarded to the two consultants.

According to a Freedom of Information Act request, the Transportation Department signed a contract to pay Fluor Daniel and Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas a total of $256 million for consultant work.

DOT spokesman Pete Poore said the agency also paid the firms more than $536,000 in bonuses.

Sens. David Thomas, R-Greenville, and Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, said they agree that a review is in order.

Highway Commission Chairman Tee Hooper, who was not on the board when the contracts were approved, said he thinks there were less costly options open to the agency and called a Legislative Audit Council review appropriate.

DOT executive director Elizabeth Mabry has said that, while she was not present at the negotiation meetings, she believes the money was well spent.