South Carolina’s gasoline tax up 2 cents per gallon
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gasoline prices are up in South Carolina and it has nothing to do with Mideast oil prices, or American production of hurricane threats.
South Carolina gas tax increased 2 cents per gallon Sunday, year two of six planned years of increases to provide more funding for roads and bridges.
South Carolina’s gas tax is now 20.75 cents per gallon, one of the lowest in the country. Georgia’s tax is 31.6 cents per gallon. North Carolina’s is 34.3 cents.
Last July’s initial 2-cent hike was South Carolina’s first gas tax increase in 30 years.
With Sunday’s increase, AAA says South Carolina has the second lowest gas prices in the country, just behind Alabama.
South Carolina Transportation Secretary Christy Hall says the state has a record level of roadwork underway.
Man leaves accident scene, is hit by passing truck on I-95
CLAYMONT, Del. — Police say a man who walked away from a traffic accident and then stumbled onto Interstate 95 was struck and killed.
State Police say 29-year-old Brian L. Evans was involved in a collision Sunday afternoon in a neighborhood bordering I-95 in Claymont, Delaware.
Investigators say Evans walked away from the scene, crossed over a concrete barrier on an overpass, then jumped down onto the I-95 northbound shoulder.
According to witness accounts, Evans then stumbled onto the interstate and was struck by a pickup truck driven by a Florida woman. He later died of his injuries.
Michigan debuts new infrastructure commission
LANSING, Mich. — A new Michigan statewide commission is crafting a decades-long plan to revamp transportation, drinking water and other infrastructure concerns in Michigan.
Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill on Monday creating a 27-member commission to provide recommendations on those issues.
The outgoing Republican governor introduced the idea in 2016, a year after alarms were raised regarding lead contamination in Flint’s water supply. The state is still working to replace pipes in the community.
The commission will be split into a water council and a transportation council. It will prioritize public health and environmental issues.
Infrastructure to be managed by the new agency includes water, transportation, roads and communication networks. The commission is expected to unveil a 30-year investment plan to improve those systems.
I-95 study tests taxing cars per miles-driven, not gas used
DOVER, Del. — What if motorists paid taxes based on the miles they drive in each state, instead of the gasoline they burn?
The concept is being tested with GPS devices recording distance and location up and down the Interstate 95 corridor.
The News Journal reports that more than 100 Delaware state employees are trying it out.
Commercial vehicles already pay mileage-based user fees, and something has to change to pay for road construction and maintenance costs as electric vehicles and better-mileage cars replace gas-guzzlers.
But the idea of tracking private vehicles raises privacy concerns. I-95 Corridor Coalition director Patricia Hendren says user data would be erased after each month’s invoice, and aggregated data would be seen only by state transportation departments from Maine to Florida.
Project to hamper Nebraska Highway 15 traffic near Milford
MILFORD, Neb. — Authorities say pavement work will delay traffic on Nebraska Highway 15 near Milford in southeast Nebraska.
The chip seal project is scheduled to begin Friday morning and take only a day. Chip seal is an application of an asphalt binder to a roadway, followed by an aggregate.
The Nebraska Transportation Department says the work will run for 3 miles (5 kilometers) on a stretch west of Milford. One-lane traffic will be controlled with flaggers and a pilot car.
Month-long I-65 closures to snarl travel around Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Travel into downtown Indianapolis will become difficult for many drivers over the next month as two sections of Interstate 65 close for repair work on seven bridges.
The Indiana Department of Transportation will shut down the southbound I-65 bridge at the I-465 interchange on city’s northwest side, along closing all lanes in both directions of a 2-mile section between 21st Street and Meridian Street near the downtown area.
Both closures began early Sunday, after which detours using I-465 and I-70 are recommended. The projects are set for completion by August. 5, with contractors eligible for up to $1.25 million in bonuses for finishing early.
Highway agency spokesman Lamar Holliday says keeping the sections partially open to traffic would make the project take much longer to complete.
Rhode Island reconfigures Interstate 95 lanes to fix bridge
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island is reconfiguring the lanes on Interstate 95 in Providence to replace a bridge.
The state Department of Transportation says the new traffic pattern begins Saturday on the northbound side at Exit 19 and Sunday on the southbound side after Exit 19.
Barriers will split the lanes so there are two lanes on the left and one lane on the right. Large trucks must use the right.
It’ll stay that way for about three months.
The interstate is the main highway through Rhode Island. The DOT says traffic delays are likely and drivers should seek alternate routes.
The state is replacing the structurally-deficient Blackstone Street Bridge. Exits and on-ramps will remain open.
The DOT says it may close lanes in both directions on some nights.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
