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Do roads in Florida last longer than elsewhere?

Started by kernals12, August 19, 2021, 12:59:26 PM

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NJRoadfan

The section in question is south/west of I-4 Ultimate's project limits.


DeaconG

Quote from: NJRoadfan on August 26, 2021, 09:47:45 PM
The section in question is south/west of I-4 Ultimate's project limits.

It will probably be part of I-4 Beyond The Ultimate.
Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

kernals12

Quote from: DeaconG on August 27, 2021, 07:18:27 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on August 26, 2021, 09:47:45 PM
The section in question is south/west of I-4 Ultimate's project limits.

It will probably be part of I-4 Beyond The Ultimate.

Only in Florida would they give that name to a highway project.

D-Dey65

Quote from: Daniel Fiddler on August 20, 2021, 02:11:28 PM
I read somewhere a few years ago where one year they ranked the best and worst roads in all 50 states.  In it, Florida had the best, Tennessee had the second best, and Georgia the third best.  And if memory serves me right, I think Pennsylvania had the worst and Ohio the second worst.  I forgot where I read this though.
Tennessee surprises me, since they get plenty of snow. I remember times where they would get more snow than New York!


SkyPesos

Quote from: Daniel Fiddler on August 20, 2021, 02:11:28 PM
I read somewhere a few years ago where one year they ranked the best and worst roads in all 50 states.  In it, Florida had the best, Tennessee had the second best, and Georgia the third best.  And if memory serves me right, I think Pennsylvania had the worst and Ohio the second worst.  I forgot where I read this though.
Ohio second worst? I can think of at least 15 states with worse road quality than Ohio based on my own experience and posts on this forum, and Illinois and Michigan are two of them just to single some states out in the Midwest. Not sure if it's the absolute worst, but I agree that Pennsylvania's isn't that great, especially with I-70 between Washington, PA and New Stanton, and east of Breezewood.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: SkyPesos on August 29, 2021, 10:54:41 PM
Quote from: Daniel Fiddler on August 20, 2021, 02:11:28 PM
I read somewhere a few years ago where one year they ranked the best and worst roads in all 50 states.  In it, Florida had the best, Tennessee had the second best, and Georgia the third best.  And if memory serves me right, I think Pennsylvania had the worst and Ohio the second worst.  I forgot where I read this though.
Ohio second worst? I can think of at least 15 states with worse road quality than Ohio based on my own experience and posts on this forum, and Illinois and Michigan are two of them just to single some states out in the Midwest. Not sure if it's the absolute worst, but I agree that Pennsylvania's isn't that great, especially with I-70 between Washington, PA and New Stanton, and east of Breezewood.

Try New Mexico on for size and it will makes the likes of Ohio feel outstanding.

US 89

Georgia has the third best roads? I'm gonna have to dispute that. They aren't in horrible shape (especially compared to their neighbors Tennessee and South Carolina), but they aren't exactly amazing either.

Alabama roads are way better than Georgia. Both state and county roads.

formulanone

#32
Quote from: DeaconG on August 27, 2021, 07:18:27 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on August 26, 2021, 09:47:45 PM
The section in question is south/west of I-4 Ultimate's project limits.

It will probably be part of I-4 Beyond The Ultimate.

Managed Lanes: The Ultimate Spending Machine

Otherwise, pavement rarely potholes in Florida, concrete (usually only on interstates), really does seem to last a long time in Florida. If there's not a lot of truck traffic, asphalt can last for a good long while.

Drawbacks are rain, high temperatures, lots of truck traffic, and a soft road bed. If it's not cambered right, standing water pools up in places, causing deterioration (same as anywhere else). Some places have a poorer subsurface than others, and even though there's no visual problem with the pavement itself, it can get "wavy" over time.

architect77

Quote from: US 89 on September 02, 2021, 12:49:30 PM
Georgia has the third best roads? I'm gonna have to dispute that. They aren't in horrible shape (especially compared to their neighbors Tennessee and South Carolina), but they aren't exactly amazing either.

Alabama roads are way better than Georgia. Both state and county roads.

You can't give any credibility to these rankings because they don't factor in the size of the state-maintained system. If that were part of the ranking criteria then Georgia would take a dive because it hasn't really built any new highways since the 1960s so it's not fair to compare to Florida who constantly is building hundreds to miles of new roads.

And yes, Georgia does try to keep its original interstates smooth and that's wonderful. But the whole South half of metro Atlanta is neglected and the pavement is in horrid condition.

capt.ron

I've got back from my vacation to the Clearwater, FL area and yes I can vouch that the roads are far better than the others states I have driven on this trip. Mississippi had the worst, followed by Arkansas and then Alabama.
Speaking of Alabama, they need to get on the ball and get that new alignment of US 98 west-northwest of Mobile finished.
Some of the pavement was a little rough / coarse on the interstates but very few potholes.

DeaconG

Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

ChiMilNet

I'll just add something to this topic to give my quick thoughts on this... I just moved from IL to FL, and my suspension on my car is already grateful! They are definitely way better here than anything in IL and North (yes, I realize the harsher weather does factor, but I also blame IDOT for neglecting its roads too). That said, to compare to some closer by states, I find FL to be better than GA for roads, and definitely better than TN. It's been a very long time since I've been in AL, so I cannot make a fair assessment there. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the roads here, and given the growth, I'd say FDOT does a good job overall.

Max Rockatansky

The thing that always drove me up the wall in Florida when I lived there was the timed traffic lights, lack of turn lanes, questionably low speed limits and a general lack of centralized street grid planning.  The Tampa and Suncoast were a quick refresher on all those items when I visited two weeks ago. 

Now, what I do like in Florida probably more than any other state is the level of maintenance on County Roads.  Even the most poorly maintained county roads tend to still have an acceptable level of surfacing quality.  Florida is one of the states where the difference between the DOTs and Counties is close to nominal.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 25, 2023, 12:24:40 PM
The thing that always drove me up the wall in Florida when I lived there was the timed traffic lights, lack of turn lanes, questionably low speed limits and a general lack of centralized street grid planning.  The Tampa and Suncoast were a quick refresher on all those items when I visited two weeks ago. 

I agree with you on the stoplight timing. Definitely some room for improvement. TBH, I find most states don't do well with this unfortunately.

hotdogPi

Palm Beach County's grid seems to be timed well. Is this not the case in most places in Florida?
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: 1 on June 25, 2023, 04:13:17 PM
Palm Beach County's grid seems to be timed well. Is this not the case in most places in Florida?

The fact that Palm Beach County even has a "grid"  is a rarity.  I'm more used to the likes of the chaotic road networks of Orlando and the sprawl extending north of Old Tampa Bay.  But yes, the timing tends to be absolutely horrible with traffic lights.  US 19 along Suncoast immediately springs to mind as something I actively try to avoid due to excessively long timed light phases.

triplemultiplex

"That's just like... your opinion, man."

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: triplemultiplex on June 27, 2023, 01:33:41 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on September 30, 2021, 10:27:08 AM
For Kernels12 and NJRoadFan:
https://i4beyond.com/


I-4 Beyond: The Search for Spock

Beyond I-4 sounds like the simulated meat vegan version of Interstate 4.



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