Graham seeks $8M to ease traffic on Aiken’s Whiskey Road

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Sen. Lindsey Graham is hoping some funding from the federal government will help the city of Aiken ease some traffic congestion on a well-traveled thoroughfare.

Among the latest infrastructure funding requests from gram is $8 million for the city of Aiken to create a roadway network to ease congestion along Whiskey Road.

Aiken’s city manager is glad for the money.

“We are pleased and grateful that Sen. Graham has recommended funding for the Powderhouse Connector,” City Manager Stuart T. Bedenbaugh said. “This project is key to providing a solution for the Whiskey Road Corridor Transportation corridor.”

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The money was included in the Republican senator’s member-directed infrastructure spending requests for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill.

Graham made the requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee, a on which he serves.

In addition to the money for Aiken, Graham’s requests include:

$16 million for Charleston County to create a new access roadway to Charleston International Airport.
$15 million for Horry County to complete right-of-way acquisition for Interstate 73. This is an upward revision of plans he’d announced earlier.
$4.3 million for Dorchester County to provide a wastewater collection and treatment system.
$750,000 for the city of Sumter to eliminate vacant and dilapidated properties.
$250,000 for Upstate Forever to continue planning the Saluda Grade Rail Trail and construct business and land development associated with the trail corridor.

Graham noted additional funding requests will be publicly announced in the coming days and weeks. This is the first year since 2010 that of Congress can request funding for projects, which are also called earmarks.