MISSOURI (KSNF/KODE) — Many of our nation’s roadways simply aren’t making the grade, according to a study published this week. With problems that include potholes, asphalt cracking, an increase in travel which requires consistent maintenance and repair, and old infrastructure — traveling on U.S. roads can sometimes be quite a bumpy ride.
These issues cause traffic congestion, delays, vehicle damage, wasted gasoline, and even crashes. With an overall lack of funding for road work and infrastructure repairs, the Transportation Regional Incentive Program — or “TRIP” — predicts that road conditions across the county will continue to get worse with time.
The number of rugged routes in the U.S. largely depends on location and varies by state — and there are not many states with rougher roads than Missouri, according to a new study.
Researchers with the computing solutions provider, Getac analyzed road length and condition according to the International Roughness Index (IRI) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to see which states had the roughest roads per 1,000 miles.
States With The Roughest Roads
| Rank | State | Total Lane Miles | Rough Roads Total (miles) | Rough Roads Per 1,000 Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 13,520 | 609 | 45 |
| 2 | Connecticut | 45,552 | 1,871 | 41 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 79,144 | 2,938 | 37 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 156,211 | 5,049 | 32.3 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 84,281 | 2,691 | 31.9 |
| 6 | Maryland | 68,889 | 1,917 | 28 |
| 7 | Washington | 174,731 | 4,672 | 26.7 |
| 8 | Texas | 654,923 | 17,446 | 26.6 |
| 9 | Missouri | 268,201 | 6,941 | 25.9 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 253,838 | 6,381 | 25.1 |
| Where You’ll Find “The Most Dangerous Highway” In Missouri >
Researchers place Missouri among the top ten states with the roughest roads in America. Ranking ninth, the Show-Me State has 26 miles of roughness for every 1,000 miles. Missouri has the seventh roughest major rural and minor urban arterial roads, with its urban collector roads ranking 13th in the United States.
Behind Missouri is Pennsylvania, whose rough roads rank tenth in the nation. The Keystone State has approximately 25.1 rough roads per 1,000 miles.
At number one — the state with the roughest roads in the nation is Rhode Island, with 45 miles of roughness per 1,000 miles — the highest rate in the country, and 210% above the national average.
