News Alert! Trump and Democrats actually agreed on something! And it involves our roads.
Fortunately, everyone agrees our infrastructure needs repair, and the President and the Democratic Party have pegged the cost at two trillion dollars.
The bad news is that nothing has been settled beyond that basic agreement. The main point of contention, of course, is how to come up with that sort of money.
The odds of an infrastructure deal going through are looking pretty bad. After all, “Infrastructure Week” has become something of a punchlinein Washington DC.
Nevertheless, long-shots do happen now and then! So if the country can find a way to come up with the cash, the next question arises – where will the money be spent?
States in Dire Need
In general, America’s infrastructure is falling apart.
According to Infrastructure Report Card, our highways, roads, and bridges are averaging a D rating. This means that most of the miles you run are driven on dangerous stretches of land, covered in cracks,potholes, and other issues.
The state of infrastructure is bad for safety, fuel consumption, time spent on the road, and more.
That said, there are at least 5 states with roads that are even worse than the D average. Here are four F ratings and one D minus, according to CNBC.
Alaska’s Rating: D-
From earthquakes to frigid weather, Alaska is constantly pummeled by the elements. As a result, infrastructure materials, such as asphalt, are frequently damaged.
Getting supplies to the remote areas that need work can also be difficult. For ice road truckers, the job is dangerous enough.
Maine’s Rating: F
Ice-cold conditions mixed with a salty ocean breeze results in harsh weather in this state.
Maine’s winter does a lot of damage to infrastructure each year. The roads in Maine are riddled with so many potholes,there was a contest earlier this year to identify the worst one.
The Maine Better Transportation Association actually paid out cash ($529) as a grand prize.
Massachusetts’ Rating: F
No matter where you live in this state, it takes a long time to get where you’re going. Massachusetts has the 4th longest average commute time in the USA. And that means traffic for truck drivers.
As a result of the excess weight constantly bearing down upon the roads, Massachusetts infrastructure is in need of serious repairs.
Hawaii’s Rating: F
Due to being cut off from the rest of the states, Hawaii is a difficult place to get supplies. When a volcano erupts, hurricane hits, or general wear and tear occurs, roads stay damaged for an extended amount of time. And the longer it takes, the worse the infrastructure gets.
Rhode Island’s Rating: F
Although programs are in place to improve the infrastructure in Rhode Island, the money merely trickles in. Rhode Island has toll booths set up to collect change, but it’s not enough.
Toll booths were implemented to pay for road repair, rather than by imposing taxes. In fact, the ATA even sued the state over the trucks-only toll roads.
Earning a D+
Although not all ratings are available, Infrastructure Report Card has records for 2017 available for public view. Of them, the following states earned a D+.
Since many of these areas have not been properly updated in the past two years, those ratings could be closer to an F as of this year. Hopefully we can come up with the money for the infrastructure package so we can address the needs of our highways, roads, and bridges.