The US states with the worst roads have been ranked, with Rhode Island taking the dubious honor, while Tennessee has the ‘best’ roads – and there will be much debate to come.
Rhode Island secured the unfortunate title of having the worst roads in the United States in 2020, with more than 48 percent of road miles classified as “poor,” according to Department of Transportation data.
Even more alarming, road conditions in the state appear to be deteriorating further, with a 33.3 percent increase in the percentage of “bad” miles between 2000 and 2020.
Close behind Rhode Island are both New Jersey and Hawaii, each with more than 40 percent of their road miles falling into the “poor” category.
Tennessee, on the other hand, emerged as the state with the highest quality roads in 2020.
Only 5.4 percent of roads in the Volunteer State were considered “poor,” which equates to a remarkable 94.6 percent of road miles in “good” condition.
Rhode Island secured the unfortunate title of having the worst roads in the United States in 2020, with more than 48 percent of road miles classified as “poor,” according to Department of Transportation data
Tennessee took the top spot as the state with the fewest “poor” rated roads. Only 5.4 percent of roads in the Volunteer State were considered “poor,” which equates to a remarkable 94.6 percent of road miles in “good” condition.
Arkansas has shown commendable improvement in road quality in the two decades between 2000 and 2020.
The state witnessed a significant drop from 34.8 percent to eight percent in the proportion of road miles categorized as ‘poor’, marking the most substantial improvement of any state.
Earlier this month, the three worst highways in the United States were revealed.
Three California highways are among the worst-rated in the country, according to a new study.
Drivers in Colorado, New York, Illinois and New Jersey are also equally frustrated with some of their main roads. Those states also found their major routes in those states among the ten worst roads in America.
Recently, Daytona Beach-based Volvo Cars compiled a list of the 100 most hated roads in the U.S., based on a survey of 3,000 drivers. The list is sure to spark debate among drivers traveling America’s roads, as many believe their commutes are the worst.
Drivers in New Jersey often have to deal with bad roads, as their state ranks #2 on the list of states with the worst roads
Hawaii ranks as the third worst state for road conditions in the US. Pictured: Solidified lava next to Chain Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Conversely, Wyoming (pictured) ranked No. 2 for the best roads in the country
Motorists named California’s US-101 the most frustrating road in the country, especially in the densely populated San Francisco and Los Angeles regions. The highway is notorious for frequent bottlenecks and significant traffic congestion.
“Traffic pace can slow to speeds lower than an average person’s walking pace, which is especially noticeable during high-density travel times. In addition, the highway crosses several major tourist sites, contributing to traffic intensity,” Volvo said.
The most hated No. 2 was I-5, which runs through all of California. The road is a vital artery stretching from San Diego to Oregon, but its route through Los Angeles is riddled with bottlenecks and seemingly endless construction, causing further delays.
An October 2023 survey by automaker Volvo ranked the top 100 most hated highways in the United States. The top 10 appears above
In addition to the slow commute, this highway also has an unfortunate reputation as a highway punctuated by fatal accidents.
The route recorded 192 fatalities in 2019, making it the deadliest road in the state, followed by US-101 with 139 fatalities.
At number 3 is I-405, or the San Diego Freeway, which has earned a reputation as the busiest and most congested freeway in the entire country.
The road is infamous for its traffic congestion, especially around Los Angeles, and has earned a reputation as one of the busiest highways in the United States. According to 2021 data, the highway had a crash rate of 1,042 crashes per mile.
The highway’s Sepulveda Pass, bordering the Santa Monica Mountains, presents additional geographic challenges that further exacerbate traffic congestion.
Yesterday, a speeding car careened off a San Francisco overpass and crashed into a building before freefalling to the street below, sending the driver to the hospital.
A Toyota Corolla veered off a San Francisco overpass Sunday night, crashed into a nearby building and fell to the ground
The crash caused extensive damage to the second and third floors of a nearby building, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release
Shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday, a Toyota Corolla was traveling west on Interstate Highway 80 onto the Harrison Street exit “at an unsafe speed,” the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.
The woman driving hit a concrete barrier as it went around the curve of the elevated ramp, the CHP said.
The car continued to drive past the barrier until the car drove over it and crashed into a nearby building.
After smashing glass and breaking windows on the second and third floors, the car tumbled and came to rest on the shoulder of the driveway.
Last month, one person was killed in a multi-vehicle crash that brought traffic to a standstill near Van Nuys in the early morning, according to ABC 7. The collision was initially believed to have been caused by a wrong-way driver, but authorities later concluded that one of the cars spun out after hitting the center divider.