South Carolina Launches $12.5 Million Road Buyback Program

Maintaining South Carolina’s more than 41,000 miles of state-owned roads is a significant responsibility for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and a new program aims to shift some lower-priority roads to local governments.

State lawmakers have allocated $12.5 million for SCDOT’s new Road Buyback Program, which will help cities, towns and counties assume responsibility for roads that may no longer be essential to the state highway system.

SCDOT will identify roads with lower traffic volumes that function more like neighborhood streets than major transportation corridors. Local governments will not be required to accept the roads. Instead, communities that agree to take them over would receive state funding to assist with the transition.

SCDOT officials say the program could allow the agency to concentrate its resources on roads serving broader transportation needs while giving local governments greater control over smaller roads.

However, municipal officials have raised concerns about whether the funding will be sufficient to cover long-term maintenance costs.

The Municipal Association of South Carolina estimates the $12.5 million allocation could cover the transfer of approximately 50 miles of roadway statewide. The program may be more attractive to larger municipalities with established public works departments and road maintenance budgets.

Smaller communities could face greater challenges absorbing ongoing maintenance expenses, while even larger cities may be hesitant without a predictable source of future funding.

As SCDOT identifies potential roads for transfer, participation will likely depend on whether communities determine the initial funding justifies the long-term maintenance responsibilities.