Minnesota highways rated lower than ever in U.S.

Photo: Miss Colleen

We're on the road to nowhere.

A new study says our highways are in worse condition than ever. More and more drivers are crammed onto them. And we've dropped behind more and more states in our ability to address the problem.

So says the Reason Foundation, a free-marketing promoting think tank, in the latest version of its annual look at the nation's highways.

Minnesota's rankings since 2000:

• 2000: 12
• 2005: 13
• 2006: 18
• 2007: 15
• 2008: 25

In most of the U.S., Interstate congestion ins't as bad as it once was, the report says. But not here, California, Maryland, Michigan and Connecticut. We're all enjoying Interstate logjams on 65 percent of all our urban freeways.

On the other hand, while we think we have epic potholes here on the tundra every spring, it's California that walks away with the worst pothole problem."

There's a little bit of good news: Minnesota ranks 2nd in fatality rates and 3rd best in functionally obsolete bridges.

But there's also some shameful statistics: 49th in urban Interstate congestion and 45th in rural Interstate road conditions.