PROVIDENCE – Another year, another near-worst-in-the-nation ranking for Rhode Island’s roads.
ConsumerAffairs on Tuesday listed the state second in its ranking of the worst roads in the country, after Hawaii. That’s actually an improvement for the Ocean State, which last year took the top spot for the worst road conditions in the U.S.
Rhode Island FC To Offer Local Businesses Top-Notch Networking Opportunities in 2025
The perfect atmosphere for entertaining clients or hosting employees, The Stadium at Tidewater Landing will…
Learn More
The annual rankings reflect residents’ feedback from email surveys, along with road scores by the Federal Highway Administration, data on the fatal car crashes and the amount of money each state spends per mile of highway.
This year’s report says 75% of Rhode Island’s major roads (and 17% of its bridges) are in poor or mediocre condition, costing the average driver an additional $833 per year. The state also received a C-minus for its infrastructure due in part to a lack of investment in roads and bridges. About 40% of the state’s urban roads ranked poorly for pavement roughness, according to the report.
“Though Rhode Island has worked on investing in its roads since 2016 (by 2020, its highway and road expenditure of $666 per capita was slightly higher than in the U.S. as a whole), the Ocean State’s roads are still suffering from a historical lack of funding,” according to the report.
Massachusetts’ roads ranked 12th worst, a significant improvement from last year’s fifth-worst ranking. Connecticut roads also improved, ranking 28th worst after coming in 21st a year ago.
New Hampshire’s roads are the best in the nation, according to the report, with Minnesota and Vermont rounding out the top three.
A Nov. 14 study from QuoteWizard by Lendingtree of internet searches on pothole-related complaints ranked Rhode Island third worst in the nation.
At we’re not #1 for change. Great job Alviti👍.