Truckers say Louisiana has nation's worst roads
Still plodding through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina over 15 months later, Louisiana has displaced Pennsylvania as having the worst roads in the nation. Never having taken the top spot in the worst roads category, Louisiana is no rookie to the top five on the Highway Report Card, a survey conducted by Overdrive Magazine.
Truck drivers state that I-10 alone is bad enough to qualify Louisiana for the "worst roads" crown; but the rest of the roads are not much better. Hurricane Katrina left nearly everything in its wake a complete disaster in southern Louisiana, but neighboring Texas seems to have fared much better.
Texas was voted number one for not only the best roads, but the best "four-wheelers" (drivers) category as well.
See all of the categories and the results after the jump
[Sources: PRNewswire, OverdriveOnline]
More than 400 readers responded to this year's survey. Each category is based on a separate question.
WORST ROADS
1. Louisiana
2. Pennsylvania
3. California
4. Illinois
5. Michigan
BEST ROADS
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Georgia
5. Virginia
WORST ROAD
1. I-10 Louisiana
2. I-80 Pennsylvania
3. I-40 Arkansas
4. I-5 California
5. I-40 Oklahoma
BEST ROAD
1. I-40 Tennessee
2. I-20 Texas
3. I-75 Florida
4. I-80 Ohio
5. I-81 Virginia
MOST IMPROVED ROAD
1. I-40 Arkansas
2. (tie) I-44 Missouri & I-80 Pennsylvania
3. I-70 Missouri
4. I-30 Arkansas
5. I-10 Texas
WORST FOUR-WHEELERS
1. California
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. New Jersey
5. Florida
BEST FOUR-WHEELERS
1. Texas
2. Montana
3. California
4. Wisconsin
5. Tennessee
TOUGHEST TRUCK INSPECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. California
2. Ohio
3. Virginia
4. Pennsylvania
5. Texas
WEAKEST TRUCK INSPECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. West Virginia
5. Nevada
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pb 7:45PM (12/13/2006)
Aw man, Michigan's only number five. And here I though the two foot wide craters I was dodging on I-96 today would have counted for more.
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Eric Frost 10:45PM (12/13/2006)
how does texas have both the weekest and toughest truck inspections?
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David 8:17PM (12/13/2006)
I second that. Being from Texas, its very noticeable once you cross the state line. I always feel like I need to check my alignment everytime I pass through LA.
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snakesausage 8:34PM (12/13/2006)
Texas #5 toughest truck inspection and law enforcement
And
Texas #3 weakest truck inspection and law enforcement
Something is not right!
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Ben 8:39PM (12/13/2006)
If it weren't for Chicago, Illinois wouldn't be on that list. But seeing as I live in Chicago, I have to agree with it. Though I really find it hard to believe that we have worse roads than Michigan :P
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Anthem 8:46PM (12/13/2006)
I'd like to know what criteria was used and whom it was used by. I got my license in California and lived/drove there for 15 years, I now live in Texas (7 years) and THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON BETWEEN CALI DRIVERS & TEXAS DRIVERS. Texas, by far, has the worst drivers (four-wheelers) I've ever seen or heard of (and that's saying alot for someone who's been to Japan, Indonesia and India). It's almost as if the Texas Dept of Public Safety instructs people to drive with their heads (all the way) up their asses. I used to a patient, mild-mannered driver... now, in my late 30's, I need blood pressure meds just to drive across town.
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epp_b 12:20AM (12/14/2006)
Try driving in Manitoba, south of Winnipeg. Then see you can still complain about US highways.
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Zach 10:56PM (12/13/2006)
I have to agree with the worst roads, being from Louisiana I can agree. If you want overall worst roads, New Orleans roads are by far the worst I have ever been on, they are hell on your vehicle
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Howard Kerr 11:39PM (12/13/2006)
Having lived in both Texas and Pennsylvania....Lousianna's roads have to be nearly non-existent to be worse than the roads in Pa. When you enter Pa. on I-81 it says "Welcome to Pennsylvania" they need to add "home of some really bad roads". A major problem is traffic congestion near cities, made worse by ever on-going construction. The worst thing about the roads in Texas? Truck drivers that feel that since they pay so much in road/use taxes, they should be given the first priority.
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boudreaux's other brother 11:42PM (12/13/2006)
I can concur that Louisiana's roads are lousy, but I will give them credit. Seems like every time I pass thru, they are always re-paving I-12 somewhere between Hammond and Baton Rouge.
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apt34 12:01AM (12/14/2006)
Ahh... Pennsylvania. The place where they rip the asphalt off the road and never bother re-taring it again.
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Andy 1:44PM (12/14/2006)
Tennessee and Georgia have great roads with plenty of scenery. Central California, San Diego, and South Orange County have some beautiful roads, but Malibu, Newport Beach, and LA are dreadful.
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DriftPunch 8:56AM (12/14/2006)
I'l second that we (Virginia) have very tough law enforcement. I get a kick out of reading posts where people say "I drove 90 all the way there!" Try that here, and your driving career will be short.
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Andrew 8:58AM (12/14/2006)
How is California #1 for worst drivers, and #3 for best drivers? Still, an interesting survey.
Big yeehaw for Texas. I wouldn't say we're the best drivers, there's too much tailgating and aggression. Nobody wants to let you merge, and people always wait to the last second to come over when a lane is ending. But I will say we have better lane discipline than most other places I've been, and we manage to stay at or above the speed limit, unlike the damn Okies.
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Andrew 9:03AM (12/14/2006)
That's Dallas I'm referring to above. San Antonio and beyond is pretty awful, let's just be honest, drivers trained in Mexico aren't very good.
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Ricky 11:56AM (12/14/2006)
Texas has some pretty decent roads. Living real close to the LA border it's not hard at all to notice the changes. The worst TX drivers live in Houston.
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Matthew 1:58PM (12/14/2006)
WOO-HOO - Illinois #3 worst "4-Wheelers" - I have to say as a 150 mile/day commuter across the Chicago Metroplex I am proud to be a part of that vanguard! Truckers in the fast lane must die!
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will 7:49PM (12/14/2006)
amen ricky. i live in h-town, and every day i see so many terrible drivers!
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problem child 7:31AM (3/11/2007)
I just cams across this survey. Yikes! ANYONE that thinks there are worse roads in the U.S. than in NYC have never been on the Van Wyck or the Brooklyn -Queens Expressway.
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