Connecticut Ranks Among Worst States for Road Conditions, Federal Report Finds

CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — Connecticut has some of the worst road conditions in the U.S., according to a new Federal Highway Administration report that found 2,100 miles of roads in the state classified as poor.

That figure alone puts Connecticut among the bottom five states in terms of road quality, confirming what many drivers already believe: the roads need serious work.

“If you drive in the state right now, you can see construction everywhere. It looks like they’re trying to catch up a little bit, but the roads are in pretty rough shape in certain areas,” said Bob McSherry, owner of Sabo Auto Body in Seymour, with 40 years of experience in auto repair.

McSherry noted that today’s heavier vehicles — especially electric cars — are more vulnerable to poor roads, causing bent suspensions, broken parts, and wheel damage.

The data comes from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS), a national database that tracks road quality. On the surface, it places Connecticut as having the fifth-worst roads in the country — but experts urge caution in interpreting the rankings.

“HPMS started in 1978 as a way for the federal government to track road conditions,” explained Dr. Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute. “But even HPMS warns against using the data to directly rank states.”

Jackson pointed out several reasons:

Winter weather in states like Connecticut causes more road damage than in warmer climates.
All data is self-reported — and Connecticut does a thorough job documenting issues.

“Being a small state, we’re able to collect a significant amount of data on all our state roads,” Jackson said. “And the more data you have, the more problems you find.”

That transparency has its benefits. Identifying more issues can actually help states like Connecticut qualify for more federal infrastructure funding.

Most importantly, highway fatalities in Connecticut are down nearly 30% compared to this time last year — a sign that despite the rough roads, safety improvements are working.

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