Which states have the best/worst roads?

[DanZemke]

16 hours ago, agesilaus said:

How do you explain LA and Cali?

Similarly to the way you explain Miami and Floree

[Barbaraok]

5 hours ago, LindaH said:

Nevada's roads are good.  Arizona's are pretty good, too, with the exception of a stretch of I-10 west of Phoenix.  It's been a number of years since we've been that way, so it may have been resurfaced by now.

No, that section is still pretty rough, but doesn't compare with I-5 or Highway 99 in California.  The section of I-40 from Flagstaff to Kingman was atrocious 2 yrs ago, but haven’t been on it since.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Barbaraok

[ms60ocb]

18 hours ago, DanZemke said:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/infrastructure/transportation

https://reason.org/policy-study/24th-annual-highway-report/

Good reports

Based on limited travel the last year, but on based on my last two years I tend to agree with the usnews report. If I grade just the interstate highways the reason report appears to follow thoughts.

Clay hoping to hit about 15 states in the next 6 months

[Vladimir]

California for the worst roads, particularly for their state highways.

I lived and worked in California in the 1970's and as a Forester traveled most of the state.  

When I retired in 2007 I made it a point to visit all the timber sales, campgrounds, etc. etc. that I had a hand in building.

Well, all those state highways in California.....are just like 1970 with 10 times the traffic!!  40 years and the roads are still the same and in poor maintenance.

TRUE STORY.....I was traveling up I-5 to Oregon towing my tent trailer.  Everything exploded.  I pulled over at a Wal-Mart in Oregon to replace the battery box and all the damage done by the rough roads in California.  I left my Swiss Army knife on the roof of the tent trailer.  TWO HUNDRED miles later I pull over at a rest area and noticed that my Swiss Army knife was STILL on the roof of the tent trailer.

I would give Oregon the award for best roads....but I wouldn't send my kids to school there!@!!.  Bad schools, good roads.

See pictures....leaving California.  Thank god....after that I was in Nevada.

https://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2012/12/davis-camp-park-bullhead-city-arizona.html?m=0

[RV_]

Rod makes a good point. I would believe the Colorado roads are bad this year as last winter 2021 we had extended days of minus 14°F weather following 2020 fires and mudslides. We just moved back in late 2019 and we had little rain that summer and drought the summer of 2020. When we were here 1978-1981 at the Academy we had thunderboomers every summer afternoon almost. Now this summer we had 2" of rain last Sunday and good rains almost every other day. Temps touch into the mid 90s a few days but we have also been in the mid 70s to mid 80s for a couple of weeks now. So roads here are likely undermined by water runoff from the monsoon season that has returned, and damaged from above by the burn scar runoff and mudslides.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out. I am glad we are not on the western slope. I had looked at the area around rifle, but too far from shopping for my dear SH. Dang I am glad I listened. I would not want to be on the western slope with the fires and or smoke from several states on fire. Next month will be interesting in the sense of the ancient Chinese curse.

Safe travels!

[RV_]

OK a long time ago but 84 West out of Boise Idaho was unbelievable. It was new concrete but they had an inch or more out of level for each section poured. We were on our way to Mountain Home AFB Fam Camp and for quite a while the 36 foot fiver bucked at any speed above 20 mph for quite a stretch over a half hour out of Boise. I'm sure it has been fixed by now but that was the worst road of our 7 years full time. Sure we had construction in Utah and CA. I agree on Bakersfield to Sacramento being very bad then. We retired and hit the road when I was 45 so we were surprised by how bad some were.

We did everything West of the Mississippi and from Mexico up to and including Alaska for a season (one May entered Tok and left Valdez 5 September in 99) we traveled mostly Interstate roads and toured once camped in the truck. It was a 1992 1 ton Diesel dually long bed with the old dump truck-like spring stacks, to which we had leafs added for the load in the bed. That truck under load was like a Cadillac, off load it would bounce me off the headliner on bad roads I kid you not. I have cervical and lumbar issues it exacerbated if I drove it on bad roads too long or in Louisiana.

I was seriously told the bad roads in Louisiana were because of their long history of construction kickbacks for roads and most other funds that could be skimmed or bribed.The bids got approved after using half the funds to bribe the usual suspects so they got 50% less quality roads than they should have. Governor Edwards served time for his corruption and remained popular?????

"Edwin Washington Edwards, long defined by his victories over federal prosecutors, lost the most important struggle of his storied career Tuesday when a grim-faced jury convicted the only four-time governor in Louisiana history of extorting nearly $3 million from companies that applied for casino licenses during his last term in office and after his January 1996 retirement.

After nine tumultuous days of deliberations, the jury capped the 17- week case by finding Edwards guilty on 17 counts of racketeering, mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.

Edwards is the second former governor in Louisiana history to be convicted on federal charges. His conviction came less than a month before the 60th anniversary of former Gov. Richard Leche's conviction on charges of taking road construction kickbacks. Leche had resigned from office three months before being indicted."

https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_a1df3f0a-dd63-52df-9edb-21caf0902c27.html

So now, as far as LA, you know the rest of the story as Paul H. used to say.

Edited August 2, 2021 by RV_

[hemsteadc]

The interstates in the west all are pretty horrible with the truck traffic beating the hell out of the right lane.  I find myself in the left lane quite often until approaching traffic comes.  Either that or straddling the white line to stay out of the ruts.  

I live in NW New Mexico, and the Navajo 'red' roads are some of the worst I've ever been on.  It's hard to get to Gallup from the north in one piece.

[Randyretired]

3 hours ago, RV_ said:

Rod makes a good point. I would believe the Colorado roads are bad this year as last winter 2021 we had extended days of minus 14°F weather following 2020 fires and mudslides. We just moved back in late 2019 and we had little rain that summer and drought the summer of 2020. When we were here 1978-1981 at the Academy we had thunderboomers every summer afternoon almost. Now this summer we had 2" of rain last Sunday and good rains almost every other day. Temps touch into the mid 90s a few days but we have also been in the mid 70s to mid 80s for a couple of weeks now. So roads here are likely undermined by water runoff from the monsoon season that has returned, and damaged from above by the burn scar runoff and mudslides.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out. I am glad we are not on the western slope. I had looked at the area around rifle, but too far from shopping for my dear SH. Dang I am glad I listened. I would not want to be on the western slope with the fires and or smoke from several states on fire. Next month will be interesting in the sense of the ancient Chinese curse.

Safe travels!

The Western Slope is not as bad as you invision.  Last summers wild fires left some smoke in the air on just  a few days but a LOT less than the front range.  Most days we had no smoke and pollution is practically nonexistent. I am a Colorado native, born and raised in the Denver area and this is heaven compared to that.  We still have family on the front range and visit occasionally but we are happy to return home.  It is hotter and dryer here but playing golf in February is possible most years.  Most years by the 1st of December the front range has had more snow than we typically get all year and the big upslope storms don't come here.  There are many times fewer people here so if you like people, crowds and traffic jams it isn't the place to be.

The last time I drove I70 I was appalled at how bad it is and I25 isn't much better.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Randyretired

[RV_]

Hi Randy, thanks for the info. In my pre-move back to Colorado research I found some smaller towns in the NW part of the state had very fast rural broadband with more coming every year. I was looking specifically at Meeker and Rangely. Nice places but too far from the grand-kids in Westminster as well as shopping for my SH's comfort. The kids are in Germany as Civil service now so we are thinking of moving again.

Roads and recent climate spikes are considerations.

Edited August 2, 2021 by RV_

[Randyretired]

On the west side of the divide things differ a lot from the front range.  Most of the large population centers are west of the taller mountains and with the prevailing winds west to east this kept a lot of the smoke east.  This difference also makes for much different weather.  Places on the front range are often called the hail capital of the world.  Damaginging hail is very uncommon here (insurance costs).  Tornadoes are not uncommon on the front range but very unlikely here.  Housing costs are a fraction of the front range. Internet access is spotty and I am hoping Starlink can continue to grow and be financially viable.  We are building up in the mountains at about 7300'.  I don't like the hot temps in the valley.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Randyretired

[bruce t]

Isn't the answer based on what roads you use? Some folks only use the interstates. While others use the older US highways. Us? We used the gray lines on the map. So it's all subjective. 

But you guys are spoiled. Try some of Australias roads. For a giggle look up the Gibb Rive road. Or the Birdsville track. Or the Cape York road. All 4x4 and off road campers only.

 

[agesilaus]

Black Bear Pass

 

And thousands more like it.

[RV_]

Age, I could not take my wife on that trail!

(Because I wouldn't take it!)

Edited August 3, 2021 by RV_

[2gypsies]

2 hours ago, agesilaus said:

Black Bear Pass

 

And thousands more like it.

We've done all those trails with our Jeep around Silverton/Ouray.  Awesome area!  We boondocked over the years at the Mineral Creek BLM area.  Silverton is a fun town and puts on a first class July 4 celebration.

[Chalkie]

4 hours ago, agesilaus said:

Black Bear Pass

 

And thousands more like it.

Black Bear Pass gets it reputation due a very short bit of it, the steps above the falls, yet it only has a moderate difficultly rating overall. Years ago, before it was tamed with a bulldozer, the western side of Tincup Pass nearly rivaled Black Bear. There may indeed be thousands more like it in Colorado alone. The worst trail and it is not a pass I have tackled was Blanca Peak. I did it with my son who at the time had a very well fixed and fitted Toyota Pickup. It was lifted and locked and the group we were with with were all very experienced. I have to admit there were sections of that trail that terrified me. 

Anyhow, I don't really think these are the roads the thread was talking about. The absolute worst road we have been on with the RV was US285 between Carlsbad, NM and Pecos, TX. Never again!! I-25 through Colorado is bad at the bridges, for some reason they can't seem to get the bridges and roads at the same level. I-70 from Limon to the Kansas border is very similar although not quite as bad. I don't think we have run into any truly bad highways in Texas (US285 aside) what has been bad is the miles and miles of "construction" narrowing the roads to a single lane without any actual construction in sight. 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Chalkie

[Danandfreda]

Near Blanca now at the BLM land right off of 160. One of the better roads we’ve been on in Colorado. Can’t see the mountains right now for all the rain and clouds but this is a nice place. No thank you on Black bear pass, Kenworth wouldn’t like that one