BENNETTSVILLE — Monday night many residents attended an update on the Lake Paul Wallace repair project at the Marlboro Golf and Recreation Complex.
Hosting the meeting, the Lake Paul Wallace Authority turned providing updates over to State Senator J.D. Chaplin and Representative Jason Luck.
After multiple dam breaches in recent years, Chaplin and Luck say they secured $25 million from the legislature last year to begin addressing dam issues, funds they say are expected to be released by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources [DNR] later this week.
When asked by a resident about the reason for the discrepancies in the amount mentioned during the Marlboro Chamber hosted Legislative Breakfast [$25 million] and the amount of $34 million mentioned by Luck during Monday night’s meeting, he said the original $25 million estimate was based on an emergency analysis, conducted following the breaches that caused flooding and property damages for residents.
Luck says a final cost analysis indicates the total price could reach $34 million. He went on to cite recent tariffs and the changing costs of building materials as part of the reason the project is now expected to cost more.
“There are other factors involved in the cost of this project,” Representative Luck said, acknowledging an additional $9 million in funds is still needed.
Many residents expressed concerns funding to repair the lake may not come through, and Representative Luck says if the worst-case scenario happens, the project will be delayed until funding to move forward can be found.
As of now, Luck is hopeful repair work might begin as early as late Spring with a potential completion time of 2027.
During the meeting, Luck also confirmed that an additional $1.5 million has been secured through the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development fund for improvements to Crooked Creek.