South Carolina Senate Approves Hall as New Director of DOT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ South Carolina senators have made Christy Hall the permanent director of the state Department of Transportation.

The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved Gov. Nikki Haley’s appointment of Hall.

Lawmakers have been almost universal in their praise for Hall, who took over the agency last summer for the second time on an interim basis and had to deal with the massive floods in October that damaged more than 500 roads and bridges across South Carolina.

Hall was also interim director in February 2014 when an ice storm knocked over hundreds of trees and power lines, closing roads. She has spent more than two decades with the agency, most recently as chief engineer.

Hall’s next assignment may be figuring out how to handle additional money lawmakers are trying to give for roadwork.