‘The Grand Strand is a cash cow’: Sen. Graham to earmark $12M for Interstate 73
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham announced Tuesday morning that he plans to ask his fellow lawmakers in Washington to earmark $12 million for Interstate 73, the long-debated highway extension that would connect I-95 to the Grand Strand.
“I am aggressively pursuing funding for I-73,” Graham said in a statement. “I believe it is a critical infrastructure project for the Grand Strand and the state of South Carolina as a whole. The Grand Strand is a cash cow for the state, and I am determined to help provide a better means of transportation for those traveling to and from this tourist destination.”
If approved by federal lawmakers and signed into law by President Joe Biden, infrastructure funding could help Horry County and the South Carolina Department of Transportation purchase the land needed to build the road, called right-of-way. Once that land is purchased, the road could then be built.
Dozens of miles of right-of-way will have to be purchased before construction on I-73 can begin. In 2017, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers issued a permit for the project allowing for 80 miles of interstate construction from the Grand Strand to the North Carolina border. As currently conceived, I-73 would branch off of Highway 22 and then continue on a Northwest route until it intersects with I-95. Other portions of the project would have the road then continue North to Michigan.
Graham’s announcement Tuesday follows a request for I-73 funding from Horry County Council, issued earlier this month. As negotiations on the federal infrastructure package have continued, Graham put out call for South Carolina cities and counties to request earmarks in the bill. Horry County leaders put together a list of projects they’d like funding for, including $150 million for the Southern Evacuation Lifeline; $75 million for a Carolina Forest interchange on Highway 31; $60 million for extending Highway 31 to the North Carolina border; and $3 million for a flooding mitigation study of the Waccamaw and Pee Dee river systems.
County leaders also asked Graham for $15 million for right-of-way acquisition for I-73. Kevin Bishop, a spokesperson for Graham, said most federal funding comes with a requirement that local governments kick in some money, too. Horry County will be responsible for $3 million of the total cost, while Congress would kick in the remaining $12 million.
“Its rare for any project for the federal government to foot the full bill itself,” Bishop said. “If you want it, you’ve got to have some skin in the game.”
Graham is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The White House did not provide a comment on his proposal to earmark money in infrastructure legislation.
Johnny Gardner, the chairman of Horry County Council, said Tuesday that he was glad to see a willingness at the federal level to put funding toward I-73. Gardner has argued that while I-73 could benefit the county, county leaders don’t want to have to foot the whole bill.
“We are excited about that,” he said about Graham’s earmark. “Horry County is for I-73, we just don’t want to be the only ones holding the bag for it.”
Other Grand Strand leaders, too, celebrated Graham’s announcement.
“Having the support of Senator Graham for I-73 will go a long way in our efforts to develop a funding plan to move this important and much needed project forward,” Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said Tuesday.
Karen Riorden, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said she and the chamber were “ecstatic” about Graham’s earmark, and said the money would “literally (pave) the way for construction of this much needed economic development and public safety project.”
“We are actively working with our state and local representatives on securing additional funding for Interstate 73 construction, which will improve quality of life for both residents and visitors,” Riordan said in a statement.
Where the rest of the funding for I-73 will come from is not yet clear. Gov. Henry McMaster has said he may be willing to put some of South Carolina’s coronavirus relief aid towards I-73 if federal rules allow it. Rep. Tom Rice (SC-7th), a major supporter of I-73, has said he’s working on the federal level to allow the aid money to be spent on infrastructure projects like I-73.
In total, according to SCDOT, the leg of I-73 that would connect Highway 22 to Interstate 95 could cost anywhere between $1.2 and $1.6 billion. Bishop said Tuesday he couldn’t comment on if Graham was working to secure additional funding for I-73 in the federal infrastructure package.
Despite the major funding gap, I-73 has made significant progress in recent years. In 2015, SCDOT purchased Gunter’s Island as a means to preserve wetlands that would be harmed when I-73 was built. That was a key factor in 2017 when the Army Corp of Engineers issued a permit to the project, allowing right-of-way to begin being purchased.
Still, there have been problems. Local funding for the project hit a snag in 2019 when Myrtle Beach sued Horry County over how it planned to spend money collected from hotel stays, event ticket purchases and restaurant meals. The county wanted to put some that hospitality fee money towards I-73, and some towards county public safety. Myrtle Beach and the other municipalities objected to that plan. That lawsuit was settled in the spring, though, and it’s now possible for the municipalities and the county to put hospitality fee money to I-73 or other projects again.
Gardner, too, has struck a supportive but more neutral tone on I-73 than his predecessor, who was more willing to put local dollars toward the project. He said Tuesday he’s looking forward to hearing if more federal money could become available and if state money could go towards the project as well. If that happens, he said, Horry County would be willing to put taxpayer money towards I-73, too.
“It’s going to be a very expensive project and if they’re willing to do the right of way, we’ll take it,” he said. “Horry County can’t be the only one paying for it.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner and Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Karen Riorden.
McClatchy White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 12:58 PM with the headline "‘The Grand Strand is a cash cow’: Sen. Graham to earmark $12M for Interstate 73."
