My Take: South Carolina roadways put lives at risk

Note: This editorial aired Nov. 25, 2019 but was published to this site at a later date.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - How long was your drive to work this morning? If you are like thousands of commuters in the Midlands, chances are it was pretty frustrating, with lots of stopping and starting, and you also probably witnessed an accident or two along the way.

If that sounds like your daily commute, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear the results of a recent study.

Consumer Affairs found the worst roads in the country are in South Carolina.

Researchers came to their conclusion by looking at the amount of money each state spent per mile of road, the number of deaths per mile and the percentage of roads in poor, fair and good condition.

This is more than an inconvenience; the sorry state of South Carolina roadways is literally putting lives at risk.

The state Department of Transportation says it is working to change this. Officials tell us more than a billion dollars in road improvements are in the works. Those improvements are tied to a gas tax increase, which now stands at about 23 cents per gallon.

Hopefully, the projects underway are a step toward eventually making our roads safer and more convenient to navigate. Unfortunately, decades of underfunding, and let’s face it, bad planning, can’t be fixed overnight.

While we are hopeful we may someday have pristine roads, the process of fixing this problem will likely also take decades. That means you should not expect any relief from your daily commute anytime soon.

Our advice? Pack your patience as you buckle up and pull out of the driveway for your Turkey Day celebration. And please make sure you drive safely because it could be a long and bumpy ride.

That’s my take, what’s yours?

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My Take

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Columbia, SC 29202