LANSING – No state has a higher
percentage of its roads in rural areas in poor condition than Michigan,
according to a report released Tuesday.
The report from TRIP, a nonprofit
funded by insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, distributors and
suppliers as well as businesses involved in highway and transit engineering and
construction, labor unions and organizations supporting a strong highway
system, pegged the percentage of Michigan rural roads in poor condition at 37
percent.
It also said 13 percent of Michigan
bridges in rural areas were structurally deficient, 14th worst in the country.
“It’s no secret to the drivers
– and bicyclists, bus riders, farmers and truck drivers – that Michigan roads
are bad,” Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association of
Michigan, said in a statement. “While the Michigan Legislature works
toward a funding solution this summer, we also need Congress to address the
insolvency of the federal Highway Trust Fund. Across Michigan, our county road
agencies are already seeing the impact of inaction in Washington, DC, and many
local Michigan road projects have been delayed this construction season due to
lack of federal funds.”
Rural roads are those in regions
outside of urban areas with populations of at least 2,500. The report noted
that rural residents tend to rely more on their limited transportation network
than those in more urban areas. Residents of rural areas often must travel
longer distances to access education, employment, retail locations, social
opportunities and health services, the report said.
This story was published in Gongwer News Service. To
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