2019 U.S. Road Conditions by State

Some roads are less traveled for a reason

From ConsumerAffairs, November 7, 2019

As holiday travel season approaches, ConsumerAffairs researched which states are the best and worst to drive through. Below, we ranked the best and worst roads by state based on our research and consumer survey data. 

What state has the worst roads? South Carolina has the worst roads in the U.S., followed by Louisiana, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Delaware. Residents of these states said the roads have potholes, illegible street signs and regular heavy congestion.

What state has the best roads? Wyoming has the best roads in the U.S., followed by Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana. Residents from these states remarked on the roads’ smooth pavement, recent repairs and lack of debris. Many people commented on their governments' quick seasonal weather cleanup.

Methodology: To determine which states have the best or worst roads, we calculated how much each state spends per mile of road, looked at the number of motor crash fatalities in each state, factored in the percentage of total capital spending toward roadway expansion and repair and surveyed 1,418 consumers across the U.S. about road conditions near them.

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3. Hawaii According to residents who took our survey, Hawaii roads are congested, poorly marked and not consistently maintained. Respondents complained about “disappearing street lane marking” and “illegible” street names in Kapolei, congestion in Kapaa and “many tire-damaging roads” in Honolulu.

“[The roads] need regular pothole repair and repaving. Couple this with an average daily water main break that further destroys pavement, and you've got a mess,” according to a resident of Waiʻanae. “Few dedicated bike lanes. Pedestrian crosswalks where they shouldn't be. Bad lighting. Shoreline roads being impacted by rising rides. The list is long.”

A resident in Honolulu who rated the state’s roads as “terrible” implied that Hawaii’s road conditions might be improved if it weren’t for “government spending on [the] rail to nowhere,” apparently in reference to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s multibillion-dollar, 20-mile rail project on the west side of Oahu.

Interestingly, Hawaii has the fewest miles of roads (4,476) and spends the most per mile ($172) when compared to the rest of the U.S. A combination of heavy rainfall and thin asphalt might be to blame for the 42% of Hawaii roads in poor condition.

Hawaii road statistics:

• Total miles of road: 4,476
• Spending per mile: $172
• Roads in “poor” condition: 42%

read … Full Report  

PBN: Report: Hawaii has the third worst roads in the country