Dorchester County is pleased to announce that the United States Department of Transportation has awarded the County a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant totaling $24,666,750 for US Highway 78 Phase 3A.

The US Highway 78 Phase 3A project will widen US Highway 78 from west of Orangeburg Road to North Maple Street, expanding the roadway from two lanes to five lanes, with 12-foot-wide travel lanes and a 15-foot-wide center turn lane. The project includes the installation of approximately 3.39 miles of sidewalk, approximately 4.9 miles of bicycle lanes, and approximately 0.41 miles of multi-use path. Additional improvements involve upgrading intersections with dedicated turn lanes and concrete medians, replacing the Rumphs Hill Creek culvert, and adding curb and gutter along the corridor.

The project is designed to deliver significant benefits to the community by improving traffic flow, expanding transportation options, and enhancing mobility and connectivity for motorists. 

“US Highway 78 is the major transportation corridor that traverses Dorchester County and serves as an employment center and as a hurricane evacuation route for the Lowcountry of South Carolina,” said Dorchester County Council Chairman David Chinnis. “We are excited to receive this BUILD Grant to match Dorchester Transportation Sales Tax, SCDOT, and SCTIB dollars to improve our transportation system and continue to grow the economy.”

This grant award was further assisted by the support of the Congressional Delegation, especially Senator Lindsey Graham, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, and Congressman James Clyburn. Local leaders, such as Governor Henry McMaster, industry partners, chambers of commerce, Dorchester County Legislative Delegation, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation, provided letters of support for the grant award.

The USDOT Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. The eligibility requirements of BUILD allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs. Additional information about the BUILD grant program can be found online by clicking the button below.