Something new. What state (or province) do you think has the best-maintained highway network overall?
My nominee in the United States (and there are plenty of states that I have not visited) is the Granite State, New Hampshire. "Live Free or Die."
I can't speak for many other states, but I have yet to see a poorly-maintained highway in South Dakota.
I'll say one thing, though. Every time I trek into Iowa or Minnesota, their highways always seem to be much worse than ours. I distinctly remember the entire length of Iowa Highway 182 being complete crap.
North Carolina's highways have always looked good to me. Of course, Virginia's highways are absolutely awful, so pretty much anything halfway decent will impress me.
I was impressed with the highways in Texas when I went there last week.
Ontario seems to also have very good maintenance on their provincial highways. On the other hand, since 1998, the province has a relatively low density of such provincial highways...
Quote from: pianocello on July 08, 2013, 01:29:37 PM
I was impressed with the highways in Texas when I went there last week.
However the signage makes little sense
I would nominate Tennessee and Texas as having good highways overall. Texas is always adding capacity to its system, and Tennessee keeps its roads very smooth.
Arizona, New Mexico, & Texas for their rubberized asphalt, rest areas, & interchange art.
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2013, 01:26:26 PM
North Carolina's highways have always looked good to me. Of course, Virginia's highways are absolutely awful, so pretty much anything halfway decent will impress me.
It's funny, when I lived in North Carolina (1995 to 1998) I thought their highways were usually in fairly poor shape because they focused too much on building new roads rather than on maintaining what they already had. I-85 from Durham to the state line was particularly atrocious, and the part from the Yadkin River to Charlotte wasn't much better. I know both of those have been rebuilt since then, and I drive on them a lot less frequently nowadays. But for the most part I've usually found Virginia's to be in a lot better shape than a number of other jurisdictions', most notably North Carolina but also Quebec.
I was quite impressed with the motorways and A-roads in England and southern Scotland (I have not been further north in Scotland to comment further). The B-roads can be a good deal trickier.
Kansas has great roads, from my experience, as does Texas.
Arizona has mostly good ones, but some terrible ones.
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2013, 01:26:26 PM
North Carolina's highways have always looked good to me. Of course, Virginia's highways are absolutely awful, so pretty much anything halfway decent will impress me.
I drive on the primary system highway network (route numbers usually between 1 and 599) in Virginia. A lot.
While they are not as good as they were 20 years ago (a direct consequence of the General Assembly and various Governors being unwilling and unable to increase the motor fuel tax rate to keep up with inflation), they are still better than some other states - but not as good as New Hampshire.
I haven't driven in a great many states, but Texas, Illinois, and Kansas stand out to me.
Having driven across the US many times, I have to say there seems to be some disparity between the State Highways/Routes and the Interstate Highways, between states.
For Both, Washington and Indiana have great systems, albeit both are overwhelmed with traffic in some areas, and some, while not falling apart, could certainly use some preventative maintenance.
In Michigan, the Interstates in many areas seem to be falling apart, but that has been changing over the last few years and more money is being spent on them. The Trunk Highways are usually in good shape within cities and towns, bad in townships, and ok/good elsewhere.
Illinois needs to rethink everything about how they do roads. With the exception of the newly rebuild segments of the Skyway, and other toll roads, the roads are largely bad.
Idaho, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, and South Dakota seem to do well on all fronts, however, many of the interchanges need some work, and signs are often lacking.
Minnesota just needs to stop with all the construction, it makes it difficult to do anything, but largely the freeways are good, and the local highways are not.
Iowa, money help to fix roads.
Oregon, are you even trying? I've not seen worse quality roads except for Michigan prior to the massive resurfacing and reconstructions projects that started around '05.
Quote from: kphoger on July 08, 2013, 04:44:45 PM
I haven't driven in a great many states, but Texas, Illinois, and Kansas stand out to me.
Illinois? The Pothole State? BWAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :-D :-D :-D :rofl: :rofl: :pan:
That's a good one. IDOT couldn't keep a road in good repair even if it bit them in the ass. ISTHA on the other hand tends to do a very decent job.
Quote from: kphoger on July 08, 2013, 04:44:45 PM
I haven't driven in a great many states, but Texas, Illinois, and Kansas stand out to me.
Though many years ago (when it was still signed as Ill. 5), I drove the East-West Tollway from I-294 to DeKalb. The segment from Aurora to DeKalb was easily the worst section of freeway-class road I had (and have) ever driven on - the pavement was so buckled and "wavy" that it was like driving through heavy seas - up and down.
I remarked about this to someone in DeKalb and the response was an allegation (unproven to me) that the contractor(s) that built the road had bribed the construction inspectors, and the result was that ISTHA was going to have to tear it up down to the subgrade and rebuild, almost from scratch.
Otherwise, I thought the roads in Illinois ("free" and Tollway) were in pretty decent condition.
Quote from: TEG24601 on July 08, 2013, 05:34:58 PM
Idaho, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, and South Dakota seem to do well on all fronts, however, many of the interchanges need some work, and signs are often lacking.
Define "signs lacking". I assume you mean the crap on I-94 in North Dakota where some exits don't even have a name or a posted designation.
QuoteWhile they are not as good as they were 20 years ago (a direct consequence of the General Assembly and various Governors being unwilling and unable to increase the motor fuel tax rate to keep up with inflation), they are still better than some other states - but not as good as New Hampshire.
You haven't been in northern New Hampshire, have you? In part because of that, I would NOT put New Hampshire at the top. Lots of state routes in central New Hampshire that have crap pavement as well.
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2013, 03:07:19 PMI was quite impressed with the motorways and A-roads in England and southern Scotland (I have not been further north in Scotland to comment further).
Clearly didn't drive on the A roads around here!
Those F1 tyre blowouts at Silverstone last week - just a symptom of driving in Buckinghamshire's roads to ruin your car on them.
And it's the A roads in the towns that are the worst offenders for potholes - not the minor roads.
Quote from: english si on July 09, 2013, 07:14:43 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2013, 03:07:19 PMI was quite impressed with the motorways and A-roads in England and southern Scotland (I have not been further north in Scotland to comment further).
Clearly didn't drive on the A roads around here!
Those F1 tyre blowouts at Silverstone last week - just a symptom of driving in Buckinghamshire's roads to ruin your car on them.
And it's the A roads in the towns that are the worst offenders for potholes - not the minor roads.
Nope, haven't been to that part of England, though I'd like to get to the Grand Prix some year.
But then, your point could pretty much apply to almost any jurisdiction anyone cites in this thread, as exemplified by the post directly above yours and the one to which it was responding!
Quote from: Brandon on July 08, 2013, 05:36:49 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 08, 2013, 04:44:45 PM
I haven't driven in a great many states, but Texas, Illinois, and Kansas stand out to me.
Illinois? The Pothole State? BWAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :-D :-D :-D :rofl: :rofl: :pan:
That's a good one. IDOT couldn't keep a road in good repair even if it bit them in the ass. ISTHA on the other hand tends to do a very decent job.
I don't remember the last time I was on an Illinois state route (an IL- designation) that was in very poor condition. For the most part, they are pretty good. Urban expressways and the tollways are worse, yes: it's understandable with urban expressways, but surprising with tollways. Even the worst sections or rural (free) Interstates in Illinois aren't as bad as the worst in most other states I've driven in.
I nominate Indiana. Every time I have driven through the Hoosier State, I've found the roads to be well-maintained. Pavement is generally in good shape and signage is adequate.
In states which I have had opportunity to traverse the state maintained roadways, I found Nevada, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, and especially Texas to be above average, Oregon and Washington about average, California below average (sometime vastly so), and Louisiana well below average on non-primary roads and about average on major roads.
I have also found the vast majority of state maintained highways in Mississippi to be in very good condition. The locally maintained roads, on the other hand.... X-(
Quote from: Urban Prairie Schooner on July 09, 2013, 02:00:09 PM
In states which I have had opportunity to traverse the state maintained roadways, I found Nevada, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, and especially Texas to be above average, Oregon and Washington about average, California below average (sometime vastly so), and Louisiana well below average on non-primary roads and about average on major roads.
I have also found the vast majority of state maintained highways in Mississippi to be in very good condition. The locally maintained roads, on the other hand.... X-(
I would agree that Alabama's non-interstate highways are in generally good condition with good signage and good pavement. However, a lot of the interstates are in quite terrible condition. The signage is good, however.
Quote from: english si on July 09, 2013, 07:14:43 AM
Those F1 tyre blowouts at Silverstone last week - just a symptom of driving in Buckinghamshire's roads to ruin your car on them.
Or just mounting the asymmetric rear tires improperly to reduce uneven wear patterns on low/medium-speed circuits, at the risk of cap-ply delamination; never mind inter-team bickering over a change in the tire construction, coupled with a sporting body which insisted on a low-grade super-soft option tire to spice up the action on the track. But I'll take your word on the B-roads...they look quite narrow with limited run-off in places!
Florida is quite fortunate, since the pavement rarely sees freezing temperatures, and in those conditions, there's limited to no precipitation. Usually intersections with heavy truck traffic where heavy braking forces ripple the pavement, or any roads located too close to a canal, are about the only trouble spots. Even most of the former secondary roads are in pretty good shape compared to those I've seen in other states, although the state roads appear to be better maintained and planned.
Quote from: froggie on July 09, 2013, 06:51:40 AM
QuoteWhile they are not as good as they were 20 years ago (a direct consequence of the General Assembly and various Governors being unwilling and unable to increase the motor fuel tax rate to keep up with inflation), they are still better than some other states - but not as good as New Hampshire.
You haven't been in northern New Hampshire, have you? In part because of that, I would NOT put New Hampshire at the top. Lots of state routes in central New Hampshire that have crap pavement as well.
Not recently (as in not since the early 1970's).
Do they have crap pavement because of low or very low AADTs?
Quote from: TCN7JM on July 08, 2013, 09:36:51 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on July 08, 2013, 05:34:58 PM
Idaho, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, and South Dakota seem to do well on all fronts, however, many of the interchanges need some work, and signs are often lacking.
Define "signs lacking". I assume you mean the crap on I-94 in North Dakota where some exits don't even have a name or a posted designation.
Not only the exits, but road names when you come to a random intersection in the country. I also appreciate a reassurance sign or mileage sign from time to time.
Let me nominate Nebraska as well. Great junction signage on rural highways, and otherwise delightful to drive.
I agree also about Texas (perhaps best of all), Nevada, and Utah.
Another vote for Kansas. Good design, good maintenance, probably best signage in the nation.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 09, 2013, 07:27:21 PM
Another vote for Kansas. Good design, good maintenance, probably best signage in the nation.
Probably the best signage in the nation? Maybe, except for:
This:
https://maps.google.com/?ll=37.682224,-97.185659&spn=0.004381,0.010568&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=37.682422,-97.185656&panoid=h36P9fUzmY8abb-U65-wPQ&cbp=12,186.39,,0,4.75
This:
https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.744545,-97.618289&spn=0.017405,0.042272&t=k&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.744713,-97.618293&panoid=fLvkf4qoucK1mN_JlZVwAA&cbp=12,217.28,,0,6.03
And this (think about this one for a while if it isn't immediately obvious):
https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.888728,-94.676603&spn=0.003047,0.005284&t=k&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.888459,-94.676602&panoid=oK-NwsD_19JOkl5V9acXVQ&cbp=12,200.07,,0,8.68
And I'm not sure how you feel about multiple slanted down arrows pointing to the same lane (which, of course, is no longer MUTCD-compliant), but those are all over the place, especially in Johnson County, and they're
still popping up (yes, I know the designs were finished before the 2009 MUTCD came out--just sayin'!).
But, overall, I'd agree, Kansas
usually does a good job with signage.
On another note, one state that I haven't heard mentioned yet is West Virginia. The last time I went through a part that wasn't the panhandle (which was over a decade ago, and possibly even before I was driving), I was rather impressed with the quality of the roads and the signage, in comparison to the surrounding states (mostly compared to Kentucky and Virginia). I also frequently find driving I-70 through the panhandle to be a breeze (except for one heavy construction season), although nothing about it really stands out as exceptional (and I'm sure some would scoff at I-70 going down to one lane in each direction just before the tunnel).
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 10, 2013, 09:59:22 PMOn another note, one state that I haven't heard mentioned yet is West Virginia. The last time I went through a part that wasn't the panhandle (which was over a decade ago, and possibly even before I was driving), I was rather impressed with the quality of the roads and the signage, in comparison to the surrounding states (mostly compared to Kentucky and Virginia).
I find that it varies from region to region.
Kansas and Texas have a great road system. Florida is good at times too, especially when roads are new.
Indiana is not bad, although I have only been on US 31 and I-69.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 10, 2013, 10:10:56 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 10, 2013, 09:59:22 PMOn another note, one state that I haven't heard mentioned yet is West Virginia. The last time I went through a part that wasn't the panhandle (which was over a decade ago, and possibly even before I was driving), I was rather impressed with the quality of the roads and the signage, in comparison to the surrounding states (mostly compared to Kentucky and Virginia).
I find that it varies from region to region.
It seems like their signage is generally pretty good from the parts of the state that I have been to (central, northern, and panhandle), but I can't really speak as much for the pavement conditions. The pavement was alright, but it didn't strike me as either spectacularly smooth or really rough, either way.
QuoteIdaho
Holy crap no. Word of advice to anybody driving a rural highway in Idaho- if you see a sign that says "bump" in a 65 zone you need to slow down to at least 20. Then Idaho has a huge frost heave problem. In many places, Idaho doesn't bother to fix roads, they just put up a gold sign that says "rutted pavement"
I've never seen worse work zone accommodations either, except maybe in South Dakota- Idaho gives its projects to the lowest bidder, their ability to safely divert traffic be damned.
I love Idaho more than just about anything, but its road maintenance is definitely not one of the things I love about it.
Quote from: corco on July 11, 2013, 12:06:16 AM
QuoteIdaho
I've never seen worse work zone accommodations either, except maybe in South Dakota
Erm...where? The western part of the state in the Black Hills? They do a pretty good job here in the Sioux Empire.
QuoteErm...where? The western part of the state in the Black Hills? They do a pretty good job here in the Sioux Empire.
When they rebuilt US 18 near Pine Ridge a few years ago, it was a total disaster- the main road was in the worst shape I've ever seen any road, even a detour- I was worried I was going to destroy my rental car, and then there were random side tracks where they were replacing culverts or whatever where the two lane road would narrow down to one with no flaggers or anything and a sharp curve to access the turnoff with no announcement. Bad news all around. Agentsteele53 drove that road while it was under construction too, and he can attest to how bad it was.
Idaho may still be worse in general, but that was the scariest, most poorly executed specific instance of road construction I've ever seen.
That seems likely. That area of southern South Dakota on the Indian reservations has two of the four poorest counties in the nation, and Shannon County is one of them. It's a shame that that was your experience with South Dakota roads, they're really quite good in the eastern half of the state.
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 10, 2013, 09:59:22 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 09, 2013, 07:27:21 PM
Another vote for Kansas. Good design, good maintenance, probably best signage in the nation.
Probably the best signage in the nation? Maybe, except for:
This:
https://maps.google.com/?ll=37.682224,-97.185659&spn=0.004381,0.010568&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=37.682422,-97.185656&panoid=h36P9fUzmY8abb-U65-wPQ&cbp=12,186.39,,0,4.75
This:
https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.744545,-97.618289&spn=0.017405,0.042272&t=k&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.744713,-97.618293&panoid=fLvkf4qoucK1mN_JlZVwAA&cbp=12,217.28,,0,6.03
And this (think about this one for a while if it isn't immediately obvious):
https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.888728,-94.676603&spn=0.003047,0.005284&t=k&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.888459,-94.676602&panoid=oK-NwsD_19JOkl5V9acXVQ&cbp=12,200.07,,0,8.68
And I'm not sure how you feel about multiple slanted down arrows pointing to the same lane (which, of course, is no longer MUTCD-compliant), but those are all over the place, especially in Johnson County, and they're still popping up (yes, I know the designs were finished before the 2009 MUTCD came out--just sayin'!).
But, overall, I'd agree, Kansas usually does a good job with signage.
Dancing arrows are a non-issue for me, and I can forgive the occasional oddity like the Mentor/Smolan one. The K-96/US-54/400 one is still better than most of ODOT's work. It looks like it was originally composed with a different legend, possibly with a second line above Augusta, that was removed when 400 was commissioned. Nobody is perfect, and if that represents the worst of KDOT's work, they're not that bad off.
Quote from: corco on July 11, 2013, 12:06:16 AM
I've never seen worse work zone accommodations either, except maybe in South Dakota- Idaho gives its projects to the lowest bidder, their ability to safely divert traffic be damned.
This one is making the news down here: http://www.news9.com/story/20808050/odot-working-to-change-dangerous-portion-of-i-35-north Make sure you watch the video for a driver's-eye view.
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 10, 2013, 09:59:22 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 09, 2013, 07:27:21 PM
Another vote for Kansas. Good design, good maintenance, probably best signage in the nation.
Probably the best signage in the nation? Maybe, except for:
What? No 61st Street exit sign from I-135?
http://goo.gl/maps/KJYTf
I would say Tennessee keeps it's roads up very well. The signage for US routes in some cities sucks though.
Quote from: kphoger on July 11, 2013, 11:49:47 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on July 10, 2013, 09:59:22 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 09, 2013, 07:27:21 PM
Another vote for Kansas. Good design, good maintenance, probably best signage in the nation.
Probably the best signage in the nation? Maybe, except for:
What? No 61st Street exit sign from I-135?
http://goo.gl/maps/KJYTf
Trade ya for this one: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Creek+Turnpike,+Tulsa,+OK&hl=en&ll=36.024876,-95.872793&spn=0.014716,0.026436&sll=37.791069,-97.327366&sspn=0.005108,0.006609&oq=creek+turnpik&t=h&hnear=Creek+Turnpike,+Tulsa,+Oklahoma&z=16&layer=c&cbll=36.02487,-95.873116&panoid=-rejqRZd8xuydmue_DX36w&cbp=12,92.56,,0,-5.77
Kansas:Oklahoma::urp:derp
I scrolled all the way through just to see if anyone was foolhardy enough to mention Arkansas. :-D
Quote from: TCN7JM on July 11, 2013, 01:29:16 AM
That seems likely. That area of southern South Dakota on the Indian reservations has two of the four poorest counties in the nation, and Shannon County is one of them. It's a shame that that was your experience with South Dakota roads, they're really quite good in the eastern half of the state.
When I was in SD back '10, the whole of I-90 (statewide) and the main roads around the Black Hills and Rapid City appeared to be in good to excellent condition and very smooth, however the quality of the signage was not good.
Quote from: kphoger on July 11, 2013, 11:49:47 AMWhat? No 61st Street exit sign from I-135?
http://goo.gl/maps/KJYTf
With any luck, that abortion of a sign will be going away soon--KDOT has an I-135 pavement rehabilitation under development which I think will replace some signs.
Quote from: corco on July 11, 2013, 01:08:35 AM
When they rebuilt US 18 near Pine Ridge a few years ago, it was a total disaster- the main road was in the worst shape I've ever seen any road, even a detour- I was worried I was going to destroy my rental car, and then there were random side tracks where they were replacing culverts or whatever where the two lane road would narrow down to one with no flaggers or anything and a sharp curve to access the turnoff with no announcement. Bad news all around. Agentsteele53 drove that road while it was under construction too, and he can attest to how bad it was.
Idaho may still be worse in general, but that was the scariest, most poorly executed specific instance of road construction I've ever seen.
don't forget - two people
died when running off the end of the road into a half-built culvert.
http://www.indianz.com/News/2011/000035.asp
this article doesn't say specifically, but - having seen similar - I'll bet the detour was significantly undersigned.
Quote from: stonefort on July 15, 2013, 09:07:21 PM
Quote from: NE2 on July 12, 2013, 07:26:56 AM
Kansas:Oklahoma::urp:derp
Comment on the roads or just a needless insult of the people of Kansas and Oklahoma?
Depends. Which one are you from?
Quote from: hbelkins on July 09, 2013, 12:06:25 PM
I nominate Indiana. Every time I have driven through the Hoosier State, I've found the roads to be well-maintained. Pavement is generally in good shape and signage is adequate.
I have my doubts about the maintenance of some of the state routes in Indiana, I don't recall Indiana 10 near the Illinois border being in the greatest shape last year.
Nebraska does a fairly good job, but there are (were?) some sections of I-80 that were getting rough last year.
Although I've only seen I-80, US 50 and a few other short stretches of highway in Nevada, I would nominate the state for best maintained.
Quote from: Revive 755 on July 15, 2013, 10:42:21 PM
Although I've only seen I-80, US 50 and a few other short stretches of highway in Nevada, I would nominate the state for best maintained.
I would give Nevada a thumbs-up if it weren't for the perpetual clusterfuck that is Las Vegas. I have never, not a single time in my life, experienced a level of service as intended on I-15, outside of the hours of 2am to 4.30am.
I find that California has pretty good road design, but almost 3rd world maintenance on certain roads. They've improved a little bit over the past decade on ghost funds somehow.
Washington has decent road maintenance outside of Seattle. Once you're in Seattle, get ready for webbing, potholes, narrow roads, etc.
Quote from: codyg1985 on July 08, 2013, 02:07:39 PM
I would nominate Tennessee...Tennessee keeps its roads very smooth.
Years ago I spent a week in Memphis for a business trip, and took a couple of drives into Mississippi and Arkansas - basically to say I've been to those states.
Tennessee did have great roads. Arkansas was like a third world country by comparison. Mississippi's road conditions didn't bother me, but their drivers sure did.
It used to be Illinois.... I say used to, because I haven't been there in a long time.
The E-W tollway was always notoriously bad for years... we used to laugh because you paid a buck, then got to the free section west of Dixon, and it always improved.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 11, 2013, 02:03:05 AMDancing arrows are a non-issue for me, and I can forgive the occasional oddity like the Mentor/Smolan one. The K-96/US-54/400 one is still better than most of ODOT's work. It looks like it was originally composed with a different legend, possibly with a second line above Augusta, that was removed when 400 was commissioned. Nobody is perfect, and if that represents the worst of KDOT's work, they're not that bad off.
I think the original sign may have been put up by Sedgwick County. When the Northeast Freeway was built in the late 1980's, the northern flank was done by the City of Wichita while the eastern one was done by the county. I have no memory of the sign message being revised, but that is certainly a plausible explanation since US 400 was not designated until 1994 and the Northeast Freeway was complete in its entirety by 1992.
QuoteI would give Nevada a thumbs-up if it weren't for the perpetual clusterfuck that is Las Vegas. I have never, not a single time in my life, experienced a level of service as intended on I-15, outside of the hours of 2am to 4.30am.
I thought we were discussing maintenance here and not capacity (or lack thereof)...?
Minnesota has very good signage...arguably better than Kansas, and they do an okay job of snowplowing. MnDOT's main weakness is pavement condition, especially outside the Twin Cities metro...in part because of the climate and in part because of other focus.
Agree that Tennessee has very smooth roads. But their signage is lacking, IMO.
Quote from: froggie on July 17, 2013, 09:47:39 AM
I thought we were discussing maintenance here and not capacity (or lack thereof)...?
it's a very orange clusterfuck. thus, I blame maintenance, for always being out there, yet somehow not being able to actually get the job done.
Quote from: froggie on July 17, 2013, 09:47:39 AM
QuoteI would give Nevada a thumbs-up if it weren't for the perpetual clusterfuck that is Las Vegas. I have never, not a single time in my life, experienced a level of service as intended on I-15, outside of the hours of 2am to 4.30am.
I thought we were discussing maintenance here and not capacity (or lack thereof)...?
Minnesota has very good signage...arguably better than Kansas, and they do an okay job of snowplowing. MnDOT's main weakness is pavement condition, especially outside the Twin Cities metro...in part because of the climate and in part because of other focus.
Agree that Tennessee has very smooth roads. But their signage is lacking, IMO.
I've been impressed by Minnesota's highway system. Wide shoulders, excellent signage (except for the whole JCT → thing), extensive network. But pavement condition is an issue, you're right.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 17, 2013, 01:29:54 PM
Quote from: froggie on July 17, 2013, 09:47:39 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 16, 2013, 01:31:16 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on July 15, 2013, 10:42:21 PM
Although I've only seen I-80, US 50 and a few other short stretches of highway in Nevada, I would nominate the state for best maintained.
I would give Nevada a thumbs-up if it weren't for the perpetual clusterfuck that is Las Vegas. I have never, not a single time in my life, experienced a level of service as intended on I-15, outside of the hours of 2am to 4.30am.
I thought we were discussing maintenance here and not capacity (or lack thereof)...?
it's a very orange clusterfuck. thus, I blame maintenance, for always being out there, yet somehow not being able to actually get the job done.
I'm willing to bet that most of the orange clusters you've been innundated with in Vegas have been capacity projects. The road itself isn't usually that bad.
They just finished a couple major projects on I-15 through the resort corridor of Las Vegas. They should be leaving it alone for a while.
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2013, 01:26:26 PM
North Carolina's highways have always looked good to me. Of course, Virginia's highways are absolutely awful, so pretty much anything halfway decent will impress me.
I would have to agree with NC- every time I go there, I'm impressed with the condition of both roadways and signage. I remember I-85 in Warren, Vance and Granville counties as being old and in pretty bad shape a few years back, but it has since been resurfaced. I've also noticed that the state is replacing a lot of signage.
Here in NY, our roads are actually pretty good with the notable exception of certain highways within the NYC limits. I'm out on Long Island and our highways and state roads are in pretty good shape. We have a lot of new signage too; it was done to adhere to new FHWA guidelines.