SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) – Dorchester County leaders are continuing to work on improving its roads for those who travel on them every day.
They are able to do this thanks to funding from the county’s transportation sales tax program. This program was passed by voters back in November 2022, which allows one cent of residents’ sales tax to go towards road improvements and green space projects in the county.
Residents had been paying that penny sales tax since 2005, but it expired in April 2024. The referendum in 2022 allowed the county to continue the penny tax program for new projects.
The tax is collected for the next 15 years or until the county reaches its goal of $735 million. Of that total, $700 million will go toward transportation and the remaining $35 million will go toward greenbelt initiatives.
Officials say so far they have completed three road projects in the program. Those projects include the reconstruction and drainage improvements of Midland Parkway, the addition of a right turn lane on Wallace Ackerman Drive and the widening and intersection enhancements on William Canady Road.
Dorchester County’s Transportation Development Manager, Sunshine Trakas, says they are appreciative of the penny sales tax program to give the county the opportunity to provide safe and efficient roads for its residents.
“We’re excited that we have that and a number of projects that are in the works where we hope that, you know, in a few years time when these start to get constructed we can see some improvements in traffic,” Trakas says. “Funding a lot of times, like we know it needs to be done, but a lot of times it’s the funding that’s the issue, but I think we’re lucky here in Dorchester County that we do have that means right now.”
Trakas says they currently are working on two road projects. One of those is Maple Street in Summerville.
The Maple Street project includes realigning Parsons Road to create an intersection at the south end of Maple Street. Trakas says the county recently completed installing a traffic signal at that intersection.
She says they are continuing to work on the widening portion of Maple Street to four lanes, including a center turn lane, while also constructing sidewalks along the street. Trakas says this project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The other project in the works is Spring Road off US Highway 15 in St. George, which Trakas says they are hoping to complete by this fall.
Trakas says they have a number of projects that they are going to begin construction on this year. One of those is the installation of a traffic signal located on US Highway 17A near the Ponds subdivision. She says residents will begin to see construction there the week of Feb. 10.
Another project she says construction will begin soon on a dirt road paving on Fairfield Road in St. George, as well as 3 bridges at Deer Run Road, Summers Drive and Pointer Drive.
Trakas says that another project currently in the design phase that is getting closer to construction is the US Highway 78 Phase 3A project that widens US Highway 78 north of Old Orangeburg Road and Maple Street. Following that portion of US Highway 78, they will enter the next phase of widening from Maple Street to Berlin G. Myers Parkway.
This project along with Maple Street is something that long-time Dorchester County resident, Ray Walsh, is looking forward to.
“The engineering is great. They’ve got turn lanes going both directions. It’ll prevent all this traffic from backing up that we’ve had and once we get Highway 78 five lanes, this intersection is going to be beautiful,” Walsh says.
Trakas encourages residents who are interested in keeping up with their progress as they continue to work on these projects to visit their transportation sales tax program website. You can find that here.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Dorchester County leaders continue to make progress on roadway projects
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