As the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday, the U.S. Interstate Highway System is reaching 70 years old and continues to save lives and reduce delays, providing Americans with $65 billion in benefits annually. But the nation’s most critical transportation network is also congested, carries significant levels of travel—particularly by large trucks—and lacks adequate funding to make needed repairs and improvements. America’s most critical transportation link will need to be rebuilt and expanded to meet the nation’s growing transportation needs, according to a report released today by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit. The report, “Saving Lives, Time and Money: Maintaining the Enduring Value of America’s Greatest Infrastructure Achievement, the Interstate Highway System at 70,” looks at the Interstate System’s use, condition and benefits, and the results of findings from the 2019 report prepared by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), at the request of Congress on the condition and use of the Interstate Highway System and actions required to restore and upgrade the Interstate System.
Read the North Carolina-specific report.
Read the South Carolina-specific report.
The chart below ranks states whose Interstates are providing the greatest safety and reliability benefits, have greatest share of urban Interstate’s congested, have experienced the greatest increase in vehicle miles of travel (VMT) since 2000, have the largest share of pavement in poor condition, and have the greatest share of bridges in poor condition.
Data for all states can be found here.