Here’s how York County could chip in its share of $160 million of I-77 exit upgrades.
York County has a plan to pay its share of almost $160 million in major I-77 interchange improvements. But it’s going to take a good many votes.
The first two were to come Tuesday night when the county transportation committee, then York County Council, meet in downtown York. Both have resolutions on their agendas to commit local match money if the county has its I-77 corridor plan approved by the state transportation infrastructure bank.
Last fall York County put in an application with the state transportation infrastructure bank for funding to improve the Carowinds, S.C. 160 and Celanese/Cherry roads interchanges off I-77. The total project cost is $159.3 million. The county asked for a grant at $128 million. The local match to get that grant, or amount York County has to chip in, is $31 million.
The infrastructure bank’s evaluation committee asked the county to commit those matching funds, by resolution, for whatever money it may award. The council resolution up for vote Tuesday night lays out how the county would do it.
For exit 85 at S.C. 160, the county match of $7.4 million of the $49.6 million project would come from C-Funds. The state collects gas tax, and some of that money (called C-Funds) goes back to each county to improve state and county roads, city streets or other transportation projects. York County often uses its C-Funds for road resurfacing, divvying money by council district.
The same process would be used at the Rock Hill exit for Cherry and Celanese roads. The total cost from the application at exit 82 is $38.2 million. The local match needed is $5.7 million.
The plan changes for exit 90, at Carowinds. The total cost there is almost twice what it is eight miles south. The Carowinds exit cost of $71.5 million would need a $17.9 million local match.
The Carowinds theme park has a longstanding designated development fund where a portion of ticket sales goes to road improvements near the park. Those funds would provide about $8 million in an eight- to 10-year period, as laid out in the resolution. The rest of the almost $18 million local match would come from a $2.3-$2.9 million per year contribution from C-Funds.
According to the resolution, the county general fund would be “utilized as a financial backstop” for the committee amounts.
The funding plans only matter if the state infrastructure bank approves the York County application. The bank was set up to help fund larger transportation projects, many of them aimed at economic development. The bank helps with financing through loans, grants and other assistance.
Council Chairman Michael Johnson in an email Tuesday said his understanding is final funding approval won’t come until the county commits to the local match.
“It is our hope that if the county votes... to make a local match then the (infrastructure bank) will make the final determination at their next meeting,” Johnson said.
Committing millions of dollars each year in C-Funds for close to a decade will impact that program’s ability to pave roads at the pace it has in recent years. Johnson sees a trade worth making of those funds can improve the major interchanges.
“If you ask anyone who drives along the I-77 corridor about their morning and evening experience of getting on/off the interstate I believe it is well worth it,” he said. “Will it hamper our efforts to repave our roads — yes. Will drastically improve traffic flow — absolutely. This is an opportunity to fix a major problem once and for all.”
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This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 1:24 PM.
