Rough Roads Indiana, Ohio and Michigan

MI roads have been poorly maintained for many, Many, M A N Y years simply because to taxes to repair the roads had not been increased for so long. The tax increase finally went through so starting next year, you will see even MORE orange barrels in MI !

Also, road repair seasons seems to run longer (into December) and start earlier than ever before.

Bridges require expansion joints, which get rough as they wear. Sometimes it seems like half of the maintenance projects of a given stretch of highway involve bridge repairs. That's especially true for freeways with lots grade separation bridge. And detouring traffic around a bridge repair is just as disruptive as a detour around a 10 miles repaving project.

And with different materials, the transition from a approach to bridge is subject to wear and dislodging.

State dot websites usually list and/or map construction projects. For example, for Michigan use (add the `construction` layer if needed):

https://mdotjboss.state.mi.us/MiDrive/map

Here's a recent article about infrastructure ratings by states. Apparently there's states out there with worse roads.

Dan

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/37270513

We've driven in 11 states in the last four months and vote Indiana the worst. Since we live there we have to do a little Indiana regardless of where we go. When the legislature tried to raise the gas tax, (then) governor Mike Pence said he would veto it so they backed off. After he left, the legislature did pass an increase, but the roads continue to deteriorate, so it's not enough. Fuel efficient cars generate less gas tax. Tax cuts do not fix roads. there also might be a skill problem--I don't think Indiana could build a smooth bridge transition joint if their political lives depended on it. Indiana, the RV capital has the worst roads--go figure. Our recently added MorRyde 4000 suspension has worked wonders. We also, are checking out national highways to use instead of Interstate highways.

That was an interesting article on infrastructure. Indiana being 12th in spending didn't surprise me at all--the roads show it. Michigan was a shocker--makes me afraid to drive North. The politicians around here want to blame the roads on the weather--funny thing is we have had weather every year. The real difference is reduced spending on road repair (probably adjusted for inflation). A dump truck driver in a gas station (reliable source for sure) told me that his construction company was limited to 4 mile re-paving jobs--the state simply does not do projects bigger than that.

"Tax cuts don't fix roads!"

GizmosMom wrote:


Wondering specifically about I-65 north of Louisville (to highway 421) and I-75 north of Dayton (to US 23 in Michigan). Sometimes, especially when we go over bridges, it seems like our teeth will fall out!

Haven't traveled I-75/23 in a while, but don't specifically recall any issues. Catch US-23 south of Toledo. 23 north of Ann Arbor to Birch Run is fine. Just traveled that yesterday.

The issues with increasing fuel taxes to pay for road repairs are

1. In most states, the money is not put aside specifically for road repairs. It usually goes into the general fund where it can be used for things other than roads.

2. As the EPA increases the CAFE for more fuel efficient cars, the number of gallons used and therefore the funds generated by taxing a gallon goes down. There has been a lot of talk about taxing autos based on mileage instead.

We have spent far too much money in this country on worthless things and far too little on infrastructure. It will catch up to us eventually. I hope I'm off the road when it does.

The weather issue is that when repairs are done, the next winter/spring season will tear them up again from freezing/thawing and frost coming up from the ground in the spring. This requires constant repair over and over which costs more. It's very understandable to me why northern roads may not be in great condition. Saw what the weather did to the local roads and saw repairs being made. Some areas were repaired every spring , new potholes are constant.

I know weather has a lot to do with road repairs but in the USA Today article I was surprised at how some southern states like Louisiana, or California and Hawaii have lousy roads. It also looks like the northeast has the worst.

Dan

In the Northeast, the worst that I run across are the "bridge transitions" in Massachusetts... Or more precisely, bridges not being re-paved at all after having old pavement removed. Beautiful roads, until you get to a bridge. Seems like it has been this way for YEARS. I don't know why Mass doesn't finish the bridge surfaces!

As jplante4 points out, usually gas and road taxes just get sucked into the "general" fund for the state, where the money just vanishes.

My governor is awesome, Malloy. Who I don't know how he got elected, no one I've met will admit to voting for him. Malloy just rammed through a bill for a "study" to "study" installing highway tolls. My understanding is that this is the 3rd study in about ten years. $10 million dollars. NOT for repairing roads... $10m just to "study" adding highway tolls, to see how much we might get.

I have offered to whoever will listen that I will save Connecticut $1 million dollars. Pay me $9 million, and I won't do anything. There, Connecticut will save ONE MILLION dollars. The state will ignore the study results anyways!