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By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A new study that rates highway systems on
cost versus quality says the condition of Illinois’ rural roads
is among the worst in the country.
The Reason Foundation’s 27th annual Highway Report ranks
Illinois 29th overall in the nation, but 44th for rural pavement
condition. That is compared to Indiana, which ranked 7th, and
Missouri which ranked 12th.
“Pavement condition is measured with the International Roughness
Index,” researcher Baruch Feigenbaum told The Center Square.
“It’s basically a metric of how bumpy or how many potholes there
are per mile.”
To determine relative performance across the country, state
highway system budgets per mile of responsibility are compared
with system performance, state by state. States with high
ratings typically have better-than-average system conditions
along with relatively low per-mile expenditures, which is good
for taxpayers.
Also hurting Illinois’ score is the state’s 45th ranking for
urbanized area congestion. Chicago is the main culprit, but
congestion in Peoria, Springfield and Bloomington-Normal
contributed to the ranking.
Illinois’ best rankings are in administrative disbursements per
mile, which ranked 11th, and the state's 14th ranking for rural
fatality rate.
The top overall ranked states in the study are Virginia, North
Carolina and Tennessee. The bottom three states are Alaska, New
York and Hawaii.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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