Interstate-73 was the talk in Columbia Thursday.
State lawmakers, as well as local officials, met before the NESA, or North Eastern Strategic Alliance, I-73 committee to discuss how the stimulus package might impact the interstate project that would link I-95 to the Grand Strand.
Some lawmakers have been skeptical of how much stimulus money would trickle down to I-73, but several legislators made a pitch Thursday that might help the project.
A bill was introduced that would help raise construction funding for I-73, in addition to any stimulus funding the project might receive.
Representative Alan Clemmons of Myrtle Beach proposed to create a multi-county authority. Their task would be to raise funds for interstate construction.
The counties included would be the ones along the proposed I-73 corridor - Marlboro, Dillon, Marion and Horry Counties.
The bill also proposes a 3% tax on each total purchase of gas in those counties between April 1st and September 30th.
Clemmons said that those are obviously the months that see more tourists pass through county roadways, so the hope is that those tourists dollars will go a long way in paying for I-73.
Clemmons also said that he's hopeful the project will receive the needed funding, and said that there is no better project more qualified in this region to receive funding than I-73.
