Yep, Michigan’s Roads Still Suck—and This New Study Proves It

In news that will shock absolutely no one who’s dodged a car-swallowing crater-sized pothole this week, Michigan’s roads are officially ranked among the worst in the entire country. Again. Well, how about that?

Michiganders may not agree on everything, but pretty much everyone agrees on one thing...our roads suck. From the southernmost corner of the state all the way up to the very tip of the Upper Peninsula, it’s a brutal drive no matter where you are.

Potholes, crumbling shoulders, sketchy bridges, and patchwork that looks like it was done by a classroom of kindergartners make driving here a nightmare. It’s really quite embarrassing when you’re driving with someone from out of state. The sheer look of horror says it all.

According to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, the state ranked 40th out of all 50 states for overall road conditions. That’s based on pavement and bridge data reported by the Federal Highway Administration. And guess what? That ranking hasn’t changed since last year. So, yeah, we still suck.

The report breaks it down more, too. Some of Michigan’s busiest roads that carry most of the traffic have seen a little bit of improvement. But don’t get too excited. We’re still way behind the rest of the country.

The smaller roads most of us actually drive on? Michigan ranks last compared to similar states. Almost nine percent of those roads are in poor shape.

Bridges aren’t much better. Only about a quarter are in good condition, and nearly eight percent are rated poor. That’s second-worst in the country, right behind Illinois.

So yeah, Michigan’s roads aren’t getting any better anytime soon. Until Lansing figures out how to actually pay for fixing them, we’re all pretty much screwed.