Highway conditions are best/worst in these states

Reason Foundation has released its 27th annual Highway Report, which ranks all 50 states based on highway conditions.

On Thursday, April 20, Reason Foundation published its Highway Report, which looks into how good – or how bad – a state’s highway is. Leading the nation with the best highway conditions is Virginia:

1. Virginia
2. North Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. Georgia
5. Connecticut
6. South Carolina
7. Kentucky
8. Florida
9. North Dakota
10. Utah

The distinction of having the worst highway conditions is Alaska.

1. Alaska
2. New York
3. Hawaii
4. California
5. Washington
6. Oklahoma
7. New Jersey
8. Colorado
9. Rhode Island
10. Pennsylvania

States were ranked in 13 categories to come up with their overall rating, including rural/urban interstate pavement condition, rural/urban arterial pavement condition, urbanized area congestion, structurally deficient bridges, rural/urban/other fatality rate, maintenance disbursements ratio and capital/bridge disbursements ratio.

There were some significant gains and losses when compared to the previous year’s report. Florida, for example, jumped 33 points from a 41st ranking last year to this year’s top ten best highway conditions list. Urbanized area congestion improved by 19 positions and urban Interstate pavement condition improved by 11 positions.

Connecticut moved up 26 positions from 31st last year to fifth this year. Massachusetts also had a good year, improving from 43rd to 20th in the overall rankings.

Conversely, Idaho experienced the steepest fall by placing 34th this year compared to last year’s eighth place overall ranking. Rural arterial pavement condition declined by 39 positions, rural Interstate pavement condition declined by 31 positions, and urban arterial pavement condition declined by 17 positions.

By category, the states that are ranked first and worst:

• Capital/bridge disbursements: Virginia (first), Washington (50th)
• Maintenance disbursements: New Mexico, Washington
• Administrative disbursements: Kentucky, Vermont
• Other disbursements: Tennessee, New York
• Rural interstate pavement condition: Florida, Alaska
• Urban interstate pavement condition: New Hampshire, Hawaii
• Rural other principal arterial pavement condition: Nevada, Alaska
• Urban other principal arterial pavement condition: Minnesota, California
• Urbanized area congestion: Wyoming, New Jersey
• Structurally deficient bridges: Arizona, West Virginia
• Rural fatality rate: Maryland, South Carolina
• Urban fatality rate: New Hampshire, New Mexico
• Other fatality rate: Hawaii, West Virginia

To read the full report, click here. LL

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