Fall 2026 Newsletter
The 2022 Dorchester County Sales Tax enables the county to make significant progress towards meeting current and future transportation needs. The tax will continue for 15 years or until $735 million is collected, with $700 million allocated for transportation infrastructure improvements and $35 million for greenbelt initiatives. This newsletter provides an overview of the progress and spending on improvement projects.
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In this edition: Program Status Program Highlights Public Involvement
Overview
Dorchester County is currently tracking 34 active projects. Each project can be tracked through the BI Dashboard on the Transportation Sales Tax homepage. Six projects have been completed, with more moving into design and construction phases this year!
The Dorchester County Transportation Program delivers a diverse range of projects that enhance safety, mobility, and quality of life for residents. Program investments include roadway widenings, intersection improvements, dirt road paving, pavement preservation, shared-use path construction, bridge improvements, and traffic operations enhancements that support growing communities, maintain existing infrastructure, and strengthen connections across Dorchester County.
Leveraging Local Funds
Dorchester County's Transportation Sales Tax Program is a powerful tool that allows the county to leverage these funds to make us more competitive in securing state and federal funding. Transportation Sales Tax funds serve as a reliable source of non-federal matching funds that are typically required for these grants. Federal grants, especially for infrastructure and transportation, most often require a local funding contribution of 20% or more.
| Projects | ||||
1. Cedar Street |
2. Central Avenue | 3. Central Avenue and Scotch Range Road | 4. Delemar Highway | 5. Design Build Bridges |
| 6. Dorchester Road | 7. Linger Longer Drive | 8. Main Street (US 17A) | 9. Maple Street | 10. Midland Parkway |
| 11. Miles Jamison Road | 12. Old Tower Road | 13. Orangeburg Loop | 14. Orangeburg/Mallard Road Intersection | 15. Parsons Road |
| 16. Patriot Boulevard | 17. Sawmill Branch Trail - Oakbrook Ext. | 18. Stallsville Loop | 19. US Highway 17A (Boone Hill Road) | 20. US 78 (St. George) |
| 21. US Highway 78 Phase 3A | 22. US Highway 78 Phase 3B | 23. US Highway 15 | 24. Wallace Ackerman Drive | 25. Wescott Boulevard |
| 26. William Canady Road | 27. Village Ponds Temp. Signal | 28. Autumn Run Road | 29. Connelly Haynes Road | 30. Fairfield Road |
| 31. Mentor Street | 32. Old Spell Road | 33. Suburban Lane | 34. Victoria Road |
|
Completed
Maple Street
This improvement project was managed by the Town of Summerville and constructed with funding provided by the Dorchester County Transportation Sales Tax, and included:
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Realigning Parson Road to create a four-way intersection at West Richardson Avenue and South Maple Street.
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Widening North Maple Street to include a center turn lane from W. Richardson Avenue to the North Maple Street extension.
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Adding approximately 13,200 linear feet of sidewalks along the project corridor.
Project Page: Maple Street
Deer Run Road Bridge
Replacement of the Deer Run Road Bridge over Rumphs Hill Creek was completed early this spring.
The work consisted of replacing the existing bridge with a new bridge, which included improved barriers and shoulders. This work was completed as part of the Design Build Bridge package that includes the replacement of three bridges.
Pointer Drive Bridge
Replacement of the Pointer Drive Bridge over an unnamed tributary to Dorchester Creek in the Quail Arbor neighborhood was completed this summer.
The work consisted of replacing the existing bridge with a new bridge. This work was completed as part of the Design Build Bridge package that includes the replacement of three bridges.
Project Page: Design Build Bridges
Fairfield Road
Dorchester County has over 80 dirt roads that have been evaluated for prioritization of paving as part of the Transportation Sales Tax Program. Each dirt road has been evaluated and ranked based on the Council-approved Objective Ranking System.
Through this program, the paving of Fairfield Road reached substantial completion earlier this spring. Dorchester County paved approximately one mile of Fairfield Road, from Old St. George Road to Quaker Road. This project, originally funded under the 2004 Transportation Sales Tax program, upgraded the existing dirt road to improve driving conditions and reliability.
Pavement Preservation
The county is kicking off its first pavement preservation project this fall!
What is pavement preservation? The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance describes preservation as work that is planned and performed to improve or sustain the condition of the transportation facility in a state of good repair. A common mantra of pavement preservation is keeping good roads good.
Beginning this fall, we will be using a rejuvenator treatment to preserve 79 lane miles or 160 total roads throughout Dorchester County that were resurfaced in the last three years.
The benefits of this treatment include:
- Replacing the light oils in the asphalt that are lost from the oxidation process will allow the pavement to remain flexible and resist cracking.
- Each treatment extends the life of the pavement by five years.
- Keeping county, town, and city roads in good condition to serve residents.
- Stretching tax dollars further. For every $1 spent on pavement preservation, it saves $6-10 or more in future more robust pavement repairs.
- Helping to reduce environmental impacts by preserving the asphalt that is on the ground today instead of replacing it.
A good comparison is getting regular oil changes or other routine maintenance done for a car. Instead of waiting for a road to completely break down or form deep potholes, agencies fix minor surface wear early.
The county will continue adding tools to its pavement preservation toolbox to maintain roads efficiently and make the most of available funding. This will help to ensure we are using the right treatment on the right road at the right time.
Project Page: Pavement Preservation
Public involvement is vital to the project development process. It allows the county and project teams to provide information about the project scope, proposed design, project status, and anticipated schedule. It also allows the public the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback.
Current and Upcoming Public Meetings
| Project | Meeting Date | Meeting Location | Meeting Materials |
| Miles Jamison Road - Public Meeting #2 | Thursday, October 29, from 5-7 p.m. | Dr. Eugene Sires Elementary School, 301 Chandler Creek Rd, Summerville, SC 29485 | Public Meeting |
Past Public Meetings
Meeting reports summarizing comments and feedback from each public meeting are posted to that project's webpage.
| Project | Comment Period | Meeting Summaries |
|---|---|---|
| Central Avenue - Public Meeting #1 | June 10 - July 10, 2025 | Available Now |
| Central Avenue - Public Meeting #2 | April 23 - May 23, 2026 | Available Now |
| Dorchester Road | August 17 - September 17, 2025 | Available Now |
| Parsons Road - Public Meeting #1 | June 10 - July 10, 2025 | Available Now |
| Parsons Road - Public Meeting #2 | April 23 - May 23, 2026 | Available Now |
| Main Street (US 17A)- Public Meeting #1 | January 16 - February 16, 2026 | Available Now |
| Main Street (US 17A) - Public Meeting #2 (virtual) | June 15 - July 15, 2026 | Available Now |
| Miles Jamison Road - Public Meeting #1 | November 6 - December 6, 2025 | Available Now |
| Orangeburg Loop | December 9, 2025 - January 9, 2026 | Available Now |
| Sawmill Branch Trail - Overbrook Extension | August 25 - September 25, 2026 | Available Now |
| Stallsville Loop | September 30 - October 30, 2025 | |
| Wescott Boulevard | October 9 - November 9, 2025 | Available Now |
| US 17A (Boone Hill Road) | July 16 - August 16, 2026 | Coming soon! |
