North Carolina Construction News staff writer
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called on state lawmakers Wednesday to approve a $1.1 billion surge in infrastructure spending to protect South Carolina’s record-breaking construction pipeline from the “crippling delays” of inflation.
Delivering his State of the State address to the General Assembly, McMaster emphasized that while the state has nearly $7 billion in active projects underway, the rising cost of labor and materials is eroding the purchasing power of current budgets.
“Our state government is in superior fiscal shape,” McMaster said. “But left unaddressed, we will face future problems with water and sewer access, traffic congestion, and road and bridge repair.”
The governor’s proposal seeks to bridge the gap for high-priority interstate widenings that have seen massive cost adjustments since 2022. According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the I-95 widening project near the Georgia border has jumped 132 percent, from an initial $977 million to $2.27 billion.
“We cannot make more time, but we can use this new surplus money to keep road projects moving and on schedule,” McMaster said.
The requested funds would also support:
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I-26 Widening: Current estimates have risen 50 percent to $3.03 billion.
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Carolina Crossroads: The Columbia-area “Malfunction Junction” project is now estimated at $2.75 billion.
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Shovel-Ready Projects: Accelerating upcoming expansions for I-85 in Anderson and Oconee counties and I-77 in York and Chester counties.
McMaster highlighted that the demand for new infrastructure is being fueled by a historic wave of industrial construction. In 2025 alone, the state announced $9.1 billion in new capital investment.
The governor recognized several firms for their “confidence in our people,” including Isuzu North America, which is investing $280 million in a Greenville County assembly plant, and Homanit USA, which is establishing a $250 million wood materials facility in Clarendon County.
To staff these job sites, the governor’s executive budget earmarks $40.3 million for the state’s technical college campuses. Since 2017, more than 120,000 residents have received free scholarships to train for high-demand careers in construction, manufacturing, and computer science.
McMaster also proposed raising the minimum starting teacher salary to $50,500, a move aimed at stabilizing the state’s social infrastructure as the population continues to skyrocket. South Carolina was ranked by U-Haul as the No. 1 destination for movers in the U.S. last year.
