States with the Worst Road Infrastructure
by Nick VinZant, Lending Tree Quote Wizard, March 27 2023
America’s deteriorating roads and bridges are costing drivers money. Our team of analysts found that poor roads and bridges cost drivers an average of $556 every year. Nationwide, nearly 20% of America’s roads and 5% of bridges are currently in unacceptable condition.
Key findings:
- Aging roadways cost drivers an average of $556 a year in repairs, and in some states nearly $1,000.
- Rhode Island, West Virginia and Massachusetts have the worst roads and bridges in the U.S.
- Georgia, Alabama and Florida have the best roads and bridges.
The high costs drivers are paying directly result from a combination of what the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) considers non-acceptable roads and poor bridge decks. The more non-acceptable roads and poor bridge decks a state has, the more drivers pay as a result. For example, in California, 33% of roads are non-acceptable, and drivers pay an average of $862 per motorist in taxes and fees. In North Carolina, though, 10% of roads are non-acceptable, and drivers pay only $336 per motorist.
States with the best and worst roads
To find out which states have the best and worst roads, our analysts ranked each state based on a composite score of these factors:
- Percentage of non-acceptable roads.
- Square miles of poor bridge deck.
- Associated but not used in the rankings is the annual cost per motorist.
States are ranked from one to 50, with one being the worst overall road infrastructure and 50 being the best overall road infrastructure.
| Rank |
21 |
| State |
Hawaii |
| % non-acceptable roads |
40% |
| % poor bridge deck (square miles area) |
3% |
| Cost per motorist |
$764 |
KHON: Study shows 40% of Hawaii roads in poor condition, costing drivers big money
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