The United States of Disrepair:
States with the Worst Road Conditions
The U.S. is among the top 5 countries in the world with the highest number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as of January 2019, there is an estimated 272,480,899 registered vehicles on American roads.
Americans prefer to get around by driving their own vehicles, which means our roads and highways are essential to our daily grind—yet we've allowed them to fall into disrepair.
America's road infrastructure is aging. More and more roads and highways are nearing the end of their service life. As an economy that relies heavily on moving people and products quickly via land transport, the lack of long-term maintenance solutions is alarming. Despite the worsening conditions of our roads, overall U.S. infrastructure spending remains on a downward trend.
Saying we desperately need to turn things around is an understatement. But before we can find real and lasting solutions to our ailing road infrastructure, we need to understand how and why things got to this point.
In this article we will:
Uncover the current state of the U.S. highway system. What does it mean when roads are classified to be in 'poor' condition?
Find out which states have the best and worst roads in America
Learn about the impact of deteriorating road infrastructure on the everyday American citizen.
Identify which levels of government are responsible for maintaining our roads. Why are they failing miserably?
Understand what needs to be done in the long-term to prevent our highways from falling into disrepair.
How are road conditions classified?
The FHWA uses a rating system that determines pavement condition through their rate of deterioration. This system allows government agencies to identify which highways need to be preserved, rehabilitated, or reconstructed.
Road condition ratings are based on two primary factors:
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1. Functional pavement condition
Describes factors that affect the surface texture of the road and affect ride quality. This rating measures skid resistance and rut depth to determine functional capacity.
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2. Structural pavement condition
Observes levels of cracking or faulting in the pavement to determine structural capacity. Takes note of factors such as material properties and layer thickness.
Road Ratings in the United States
Good - A "Good" rating means it will take more than 8 years before a road is expected to reach the threshold for functional and structural deterioration. Preservation work is recommended for these roads.
Fair - A "Fair" rating means that the threshold for road deterioration will be reached between 4 to 8 years. A combination of preservation and rehabilitation treatments must be applied to these roads.
Poor - A "Poor" rating means that road conditions are expected to reach the threshold for deterioration in less than 4 years. Heavy road rehabilitation and reconstruction work are recommended.
Download ImagePercentage of roads in Good condition per state
Download ImagePercentage of roads in Fair condition per state
Download ImagePercentage of roads in Poor condition per state
Who is to blame for the poor condition of our roads?
Road construction and maintenance have historically been the responsibility of government. During the time of early colonial settlers, the federal government used the revenue from land sales to build a vast network of roadways that established their territory and developed interior lands.
This system made it possible to build and maintain roads—even in areas that were sparsely populated. Over the years, ownership and responsibility for these roads have fallen on state and local authorities.
City and county governments are responsible for 77.4% of the nation's roads.
Individual states own 19.6% of public roads, including most interstate highway systems.
Only 3% of roads fall under federal management.
A Closer Look at the Worst Roads in America
Looking at the list of states with the worst roads gives us a better understanding of the severity of America's infrastructure problem.
Rhode Island has the worst highways in the U.S. with 53% of its roads classified to be in 'poor' condition. The state's aging highway network has been deteriorating at a rapid rate over the last few decades due to a combination of heavy use, lack of funding, and maintenance delays.
California, a state notorious for its long commutes and frequent gridlocks, came in second on the list with 45%.
Hawaii's poorly built road network continues to struggle with its tropical climate, ranking third with 42%.
The list continues with New Jersey (34%), Connecticut (34%), Oklahoma (33%), West Virginia (31%), New Mexico (31%), Pennsylvania (30%), and Mississippi (30%).
How did American roads get this bad?
Failing to Build for the Future
Building one of President Dwight Eisenhower's greatest legacies - the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - didn't come cheap. It cost the federal government an estimated $425 billion.
Approximately 48,000 miles of these controlled-access highways were hastily laid between the '50s and '70s.
A modern highway network looked and sounded good on paper, which is sadly why the government prioritized completing the project as fast as they could. Discussions about urban planning, longevity, and long-term maintenance were put to the wayside. After all, the future seemed far away.
Today, many citizens are suffering from this lack of foresight.
Highway engineers failed to anticipate the rise of the trucking industry and the shift away from transporting freight through rail. Roads that were meant to carry 2,000 lb. cars are taking a beating from countless trucks and trailers weighing at least 30,000 lbs.
Building Roads VS Fixing Roads
The nation's road network is expanding steadily through road-widening projects. From 2009 to 2017, enough lane-miles were added to drive across the U.S. 83 times.
New infrastructure projects may seem like a good thing, but studies have shown that the economic impact of building new roads has dwindled over the years.
Repairing the worst roads in America will benefit a greater number of the population, yet politicians continue to fail to prioritize it. In fact, states continue to allocate inadequate amounts for road maintenance.
The reality is that a highway expansion gets more press than fixing cracks and potholes.
Authorities vying for reelection would rather have their names tied to new infrastructure projects. Knowing that routine maintenance barely gets any publicity, politicians keep deprioritizing these projects—to a point where roads just become more and more rundown, and as a result, more expensive to fix.
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Download ImageChange in Percentage of Roads in POOR Condition 2009 vs 2017
Legend
1 - 50 - Rank in terms of percentage of roads in poor condition, 1 being the state with the highest percentage.
Percentage of roads in poor condition increased from 2009 to 2017
Percentage of roads in poor condition decreased from 2009 to 2017
Impact of Climate Change on Road Infrastructure
The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has previously warned against the impact of climate change on surface transportation.
Extreme weather events have already begun to shorten the life expectancy of our highways. In the last four years, scientists from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration recorded the highest summer temperatures in its 140-year record. This has led to the softening and expansion of asphalt pavements, creating more potholes and rutting in high-traffic areas.
Flooding and heavy snowfall also weaken the dirt underneath the pavement, creating air pockets that cause the top layers to sink.
Cities that previously didn't experience extreme weather should anticipate greater repair and rehabilitation needs due to the effects of accelerated climate change.
Why can't taxes fix our roads?
State and local road projects are funded primarily through the tax revenue from motor fuels, heavy vehicles, and truck or trailer sales. Each state also receives formula funding from the Federal-Aid Highway Program to supplement the cost of building and maintaining the nation's road network. However, state and local authorities are free to allocate highway funds as they please.
Federal Government Infrastructure Spending: Wrong Priorities
Highway funding is mainly categorized into two main expenditures: the initial construction of roads and bridges, and maintenance work. The latter covers resurfacing, restoration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction projects.
A small percentage of the budget goes to operating costs that include snow removal, traffic control, and preventive maintenance.
According to the latest data from the 24th Annual Highway Report, each state allots an average of $11,929 for road maintenance per lane-mile. In contrast, Transportation for America and Taxpayers for Common Sense estimate that each lane-mile requires $24,000 annually to remain in a state of good repair.
New Mexico spends the least on yearly road maintenance, allotting only $479 per lane mile.
New Jersey spends the most in maintenance with $60,646 per lane mile allotted annually.
States are spending comparable amounts for road repair in urban and rural areas. This shouldn't be the case as 80% of the population lives in cities. Urban roads see heavier use, supporting the majority of freight and traffic, resulting in heavier wear and tear.
The Spending Gap
The government has increased funding for highway infrastructure. However, the amount barely covers the rising cost of materials. There remains a gap between what the government is currently spending versus what is needed to bring all American roads in a state of good repair.
Transportation for America estimates that $168.6 billion per year is needed to preserve the existing highway network. Another $68 billion is needed to fix the growing backlog of roads that have been rated "poor" in condition.
A total of $231.4 billion is needed annually for the maintenance of our nation's roads. The latest data on government spending shows highway and road expenditure falls short at $175 billion per year. What's worse is that only a percentage of this amount is allocated towards road repair and rehabilitation.
The Pitfalls of the Crumbling U.S. Highway System
Highway infrastructure is the backbone of the U.S. economy. A well-maintained road network increases the productivity of businesses and individuals.
Costly Vehicle Maintenance Due to Potholes & Uneven Road Surfaces
As our highways deteriorate, our disposable income also dwindles due to the growing cost of vehicle repairs. Potholes are estimated to cause $3 billion in property damage every year.
Driving on uneven road surfaces will give your suspension system a beating, making it more difficult to steer your vehicle accurately and safely.
Suspension System Repair Costs
Compromised Road Safety
The funding for road maintenance isn’t exclusively used for fixing cracks and bumps on the pavement. It also includes maintaining guardrails and road signs that help us safely navigate the road.
Deferring the maintenance or replacement of missing signs and guardrails increases the likelihood of serious and even fatal road accidents.
Road Congestion
Poor road conditions reduce the capacity of our highways to support high speeds. Drivers are also more likely to avoid bad roads, contributing to the gridlock on alternate routes.
Road congestion increases commute time and reduces the productivity of businesses. A lengthy commute time also means higher transportation costs for employees and less time spent with their families.
Rising Cost of Doing Business
Increased travel time and diminished worker productivity continue to drive up the cost of doing business. These are naturally passed to the consumer, resulting in the higher cost of goods.
The added cost also hinders companies from creating more job opportunities and increasing the salary of their workforce.
Rebuilding America's Broken Highway System
So what will it take to fix our deteriorating road network? Here are what experts are saying:
Set our Priorities Straight
State, county, and city governments have arguably failed American citizens by letting roads fall into disrepair. Before an increase in infrastructure funding is even discussed, there's a need to focus on changing the way these funds are allocated.
Repair and rehabilitation work must be prioritized for Americans to make better use of existing road networks. At the same time, future highway spending laws must learn from past mistakes and focus on creating a forward-thinking surface transportation plan.
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act or FAST Act
Back in 2015, the government secured funding for transportation projects up to 2020 through the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. The FAST Act was the first long-term transportation bill that authorized $305 billion for projects focused on improving roads with high freight traffic.
This bill was a step in the right direction as the government has finally realized both the impact and importance of freight movement on our highway systems. Set to expire in September 2020, the current administration has proposed an $810 billion transportation package to replace the FAST ACT, reauthorizing surface transportation programs over the next ten years. The next challenge lies in closing the gap between existing funding levels and the $261 billion in additional funds needed by the Transportation Department to support this proposal.
Face the Problem Head-on
The country is facing a transport crisis and yet the government has mostly failed to call it as it is. Accepting that roadways are deteriorating at an alarming rate is the first step to solving this problem.
Congress must set a clear goal and push agencies at the state and local level to bring crumbling highways back into "good" condition within a fixed timeline.
Road Maintenance Over Expansion
Citizens must find ways to incentivize state and local authorities to prioritize road repairs and rehabilitation over building new infrastructure. It only makes sense that people devote resources to fixing the existing system before adding more lane-miles that will only add to the burden of maintenance. At the same time, the capacity for long-term maintenance must be considered before new roads are built.
Make Highway Spending More Productive
There is a need to distinguish high-return projects that will make surface transportation more efficient. Before allocating funds, the government should do a cost-benefit analysis to maximize the productivity of highway spending. Authorities must fully utilize the pavement condition rating system in identifying which areas need support so that funding can be directed towards improving their condition.
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