The Virginian-Pilot
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Virginia roads are not the worst, but they're not the best, either.
A report released Wednesday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group rates states based on how rough their major roads are. Virginia is close to the middle, ranking 17th best with 6 percent of roads in poor or mediocre condition and 51 percent in "less than good" condition. Additionally, 9 percent of Virginia bridges are structurally deficient.
As a result, the typical Virginia driver can expect to spend an extra $249 in auto repairs each year. The national average is $335 per driver per year.
The watchdog group used 2008 Federal Highway Administration data to compile its findings.
The worst road conditions in the country are generally found in urban areas because of high traffic volumes, said John Krieger, a staff attorney for the watchdog group.
Virginia has a policy to maintain roads before new ones can be built, which is what the group is advocating all states to adopt.
"Special-interest lobbying, policies that favor new construction over repairs, and the appeal of ribbon-cuttings push America to build new highways and bridges faster than it keeps up older ones," a PIRG news release says, resulting in a "crumbling infrastructure." Nationwide, 45 percent of roads are in "less than good" condition - 80 percent of them in metropolitan areas.
Phineas Baxandall, a PIRG senior analyst, likens building new roads when others are crumbling to "adding a guest room on your home when the roof is leaking."
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Average is average
Seems right, highways in Hampton Roads are way below average, but roads in rural Virginia are above average. So we have on average, average roads. Seems fair to me, Hampton Roads provides the jobs and tax revenue, and rural Virginia gets to good roads. Besides that bad roads create jobs in the auto repair industry. In the tradition of the Grand Old South and the Tea Party tradition our urban Cities and counties should assert their rights and secede from the rest of the state. If it's our tax dollars we should decide how to spend it.
A little quick analysis here…
Let’s see 51% of the roads are “less than good” …check
6 % are “poor” …check
9% of bridges are “structurally deficient” …check
And, that puts us in the upper middle of the ranking (17th)?
Wow, the rest of the country is really bad if this is “average”….
Condition:
Underfunded, neglected, ignored, cursed, vilified, used as political fodder for those for/against increasing gas taxes, and oh, yes, contributing factors for repair bills.
Yeah right,
I've driven on dirt roads that are better than some of the highways in this area. I-64 East in Hampton, just before the HRBT has so many ruts from large trucks in stop-and-go traffic it rattles your teeth. Tidewater Drive between Little Creek Road and Ocean View is also terrible. On Bay Avenue, there is a manhole cover that is a good six inches below the grade of the road in the right hand lane. On a good note, some of the potholes from this winters weather were repaired on I-64 East in Norfolk, but we will have to wait and see how long the patches hold up.