At $1 million per mile, see if your nightmare road made the York County repair list
Some of the most requested road fixes across York County would be some of the first completed, if voters opt to continue the Pennies for Progress sales tax program on Nov. 5. But at about $1 million per mile, resurfacing work will only cover so many potholes and cracks.
Here are five need-to-know items about road resurfacing, including whether a road near you made the list:
What is the road resurfacing list?
Pennies is a 1% sales tax to fund road improvements. The tax runs for seven years, and before it expires voters can opt to continue it.
A citizen commission put an improvement list together for a fifth Pennies campaign since it started in 1997. If York County Council approves it — starting in May — then voters will see the list on their election ballots in November.
The nearly $411 million Pennies list covers road widening, intersection improvements and other upgrades. It puts $80 million toward resurfacing. That amount should smooth out almost 77 miles of roadway spread throughout the county.
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How did these roads get picked?
In years of planning for the coming Pennies vote, anyone in the area could submit a road in need of repair. Municipalities mostly lobbied for large road widening or intersection improvements. Hundreds of citizen submissions largely focused on resurfacing.
While the citizen commission debated widening and intersection jobs line by line, the group set an $80 million total for resurfacing. They asked county staff to come up with a list that addresses the roads in most need of repair, based on community input. They also wanted as broad a list as possible.
“The repaving also kind of touches all parts of the county,” said Patrick Hamilton, who runs the Pennies program for the county.
Which roads would be fixed?
The list of 48 roads up for resurfacing, by area, are:
Rock Hill roads
▪ Charlotte Avenue from Cherry Road to E. White Street
▪ Crawford Road/Pond Road from Heckle Blvd. to Hampton Street
▪ Cureton Ferry Road from Lesslie Hwy. to Hwy. 5
▪ Ebenezer Road from Oakland Avenue to Herlong Avenue
▪ George Dunn Road Reservation Road to Old Friendship Road
▪ Harmony Road from Hall Spencer Road to Collins Road
▪ Hollis Lakes Road from Rawlinson Road to Ebenezer Road
▪ John Ross Parkway from Mount Gallant Road to Dave Lyle Blvd.
▪ Lesslie Hwy. from US 21 to US 21
▪ Museum Road from Mount Gallant Road to Hwy. 161
▪ Oakdale Road from Mount Holly Road to Saluda Road
▪ Pennington Road from Hwy. 161 to Airport Road
▪ Rawlinson Road from Hwy. 5 to Cascade Avenue
▪ Twin Lakes Road from Celanese Road to Ebenezer Road
▪ Twin Lakes Road from Mount Gallant Road to Melrose Drive
Fort Mill, Tega Cay roads
▪ Academy Street from Main Street to Banks Street
▪ Banks Road from Fairway Drive to Wolfpack Trail
▪ Carolina Place Drive from Hwy. 160 to End
▪ Dam Road from Gardendale Road to Coralbell Way
▪ Deerfield Drive from Gold Hill Road to End
▪ Pikeview Road from Flint Hill Road to Regent Parkway
▪ Stonecrest Blvd. from Hubert Graham Way to Dam Road
▪ Tom Hall Street from Main Street to Banks Street
Clover, Lake Wylie Area Roads
▪ Allison Creek Road from Hwy. 274 to End
▪ Brandon Road from Ridge Road to Oakridge Road
▪ Flatrock Street from US 321 to Mint Street
▪ Henry Knob Road from Hwy. 55 to NC state line
▪ Jackson Terrace/Valley Avenue from Bethel Street to McConnell Street
▪ Jenkins Road from Ramah Church Road to Hwy. 55
▪ Jim McCarter Road from Lincoln Road to US 321
▪ Knox Road from Henry Knob Road to Lloyd White Road
▪ McConnell Street from South Main Street to White Street
▪ Old North Main Street from North Main Street to Columbia Street
▪ Thomas Road from Faulkner Street to Hwy. 55
▪ Tom Joye Road from St. Paul Church Road to Jim McCarter Road
York, western York County roads
▪ Chambers Road from Campbell Road to Harper Road
▪ Charlotte Street from Blackburn Street to N Congress Street
▪ Church Street from E Liberty Street to E Jefferson Street
▪ Daves Road from McConnells Hwy. to US 321
▪ Georgia Avenue from Hunter Street to E Liberty Street
▪ Jefferson Street from Bratton Avenue to End
▪ Lincoln Road from Wood road to Hwy. 55
▪ McGill Road from Woodlawn Street to Hwy. 5
▪ N Congress Road from Roundabout to Alexander Love Bypass
▪ Railroad Avenue from Galilean Road to E Jefferson Street
▪ Roosevelt Street from E Jefferson Street to E Madison Street
▪ Ross Cannon Street from E Madison Street to N Congress Street
▪ Shannon Street from York Street to Old Pinckney Road
When will roads be fixed?
Last time, voters approved a Pennies campaign in 2017, and York County Council forwarded the program money between the fall vote and the late spring start of tax collection. The short-term loan jump-started the $50 million of resurfacing work as larger projects waited.
“We have a very similar plan of action on Pennies 5,” Hamilton said.
The last Pennies finished 80 miles of resurfacing in about four years, and at about $6 million under budget. The quick start paid off for the county, compared to larger and longer projects that were derailed in costs by the COVID pandemic. Of the nearly $411 million referendum this fall, about $225 million would go to projects approved on past Pennies votes.
What if my road isn’t on here?
Pennies is a big opportunity to get roads repaved, but it isn’t the only one.
Several other area groups fund road work, from municipal public works departments to groups that divvy up federal funding for large infrastructure projects.
For repaving, a common source is the C-funds program that sends state gas tax revenue to counties. In addition to submitting a road for a potential sixth Pennies campaign, York County residents can submit their roads online for C-Fund consideration at yorkcountygov.com.
