I frequent 3-4 LTL and OTR truckers forums. The big bitzh over there is concrete roads. States wait too long before replacing them.
In 2015 we made a trip west to the coastal mountains on I-40 through OK/TX/NM/AZ/CA.
The trip was smooth till we hit AZ. WOW....they actually had signs up on I-40 saying "ROUGH ROADS".
In my state we spend too much monies making a two lane highway that doesn't have much traffic into a four lane. Most of the time its the state representative from that area has political pull with our DOT folks that supplies monies for highway projects.
The mother road (US-66) goes through my area. Backers are trying to get it all 4 laned...hell it doesn't have much traffic at all in the summer months and next to nothing in the winter months through here. Then they let sections of nearby I-44 go to helz.
Pork barrel come to mind.