BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) – Beaufort County will have more time before deciding how they will move forward with the expanded Highway 278 corridor.
The county has until March 31 to come up with the $90 million needed to pay for the project.
$120 million was set aside to fix the one bridge span from Bluffton to Hilton Head Island that was declared "failing."
But neither the county nor the town of Hilton Head have agreed on a way to cover the $90 million shortfall in the project to fix all the bridges and potentially expand the corridor from two to three lanes.
"I understand that they're faced with a series of unpleasant options," said State Sen. Tom Davis (R-Bluffton). "They don't want to cut projects they've already promised to fund. They don't want to increase millage on property. I understand that. But I think that before county council is in a position where it has to decide what its priorities are."
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Beaufort County Council was hoping the road and bridge bond referendum would pass, but when voters said no, several councilmembers said additional millage rate hikes were not an option.
"I can't vote to raise property taxes for this when my district was a resounding no to it," said Councilwoman Alice Howard.
Now, it's back to the drawing board. Will it be a countywide millage rate increase, project cuts or just fixing one bridge span and leaving the rest as is?
"This is something that I want the people of Beaufort County and Hilton in particular to feel some ownership of. I want them to feel like this is a project that they've got a direct say in," said Davis. "So having an extension until March 31st to talk about how you put this financing piece together gives both councils an opportunity not only to other but to solicit further public involvement."