Missouri’s roads made the nation’s biggest improvement, jumping 16 spots from 24th to 8th in rankings of state highway performance and cost-effectiveness according to the Reason Foundation’s new 19th Annual Highway Report.
The study ranks each state’s interstate highways and state-controlled roads in 11 categories, including costs per mile, congestion, pavement condition, deficient bridges and fatalities. National performance improved greatly in 2008, the most recent year with complete data available. Missouri ranks 10th in total highway disbursements, 33rd in fatalities, 40th in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges and 26th in urban Interstate congestion. Missouri’s best rankings come in rural Interstate condition (1st), administrative disbursements (4th) and state-controlled highway miles (7th). Missouri’s lowest rankings are in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges (40th) and narrow rural lanes (38th).
Missouri’s complete results:
Overall Rank in 2008: 8
Overall Rank in 2007: 24
Overall Rank in 2006: 13
Overall Rank in 2005: 17
Overall Rank in 2000: 39
Missouri’s Performance by Category in 2008 Rank
State-Controlled Highway Miles: 7
State Highway Agency Miles: 11
Total Disbursements: 10
Capital and Bridge Disbursements: 10
Maintenance Disbursements: 12
Administrative Disbursements: 4
Rural Interstate Condition: 1
Rural Other Principal Arterial Condition: 8
Urban Interstate Condition:14
Urban Interstate Congestion: 26
Deficient or Functionally Obsolete Bridges: 40
Fatality Rates: 33
Narrow Rural Lanes: 38
The full Annual Highway Report with detailed state-by-state analysis is available at https://reason.org/policy-study/19th-annual-highway-report/.
