Awards

South Carolina Department of Transportation: Industry Award-Public Sector Winner, 2015

A 2015 ACRA public sector award was presented to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and its federal partner the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for various projects, including funding and support of ArchSite, the state’s first online cultural resource information system, and a liaison position at SHPO. This position greatly streamlines the review of transportation projects.

The ArchSite application was developed in 2005 through a FHWA/SCDOT enhancement grant promoting environmental streamlining. Over the past two years, SCDOT and FHWA funding enabled consultant access to digitized archaeological site forms and cultural resources reports.

In 2009, the proposed widening of US 17 impacted the sweetgrass basket corridor, a traditional cultural property associated with the Gullah/Geechee people. SCDOT and FHWA went beyond the requirements of Section 106 to minimize impacts to the sweetgrass basket makers.

In 2012, the proposed widening of US 1 led SCDOT and FHWA to fund a historic context study of country stores, a rapidly-disappearing resource across the state. Development of the study by ACRA member New South Associates included the innovative use of social media involving the public in the project.