Roads and Other Infrastructure Failing to Keep up with Rapid Growth

The Challenge: South Carolina's roads, bridges, and public infrastructure have not kept pace with one of the nation's fastest population growth rates, raising questions about road safety, commute times, and long-term planning. What do South Carolinians think? Participants from every region and political background share this frustration. One described the state as "confronted with a gap in services, technology, infrastructure…as if we are back in the 1990s." Others report spending "countless dollars on vehicle repair" from potholes, while commuters say trips that once took minutes now take "twice as long or more." A Lowcountry participant put it simply: "75% of the roads need lines painted — nothing like guessing if you’re in your lane." From the Upstate to the Pee Dee, the message is the same: "we continue to develop our land and build, but we never develop infrastructure to support any of it."