A national report ranks the Show Me State third in highway cost-effectiveness

Missouri boasts the third most cost-effective highway system in the U.S., according to the New Jersey-based Reason Foundation, comparing dollars spent and highway performance.

In Reason's 26th annual highway report, the Show Me State is behind only North Dakota and Virginia in its latest rankings.

In terms of total spending, Missouri is one of five states to spend less than $30,000 per mile on its highways. South Carolina, West Virginia, North Dakota and South Dakota are the others.

By contrast, three states — Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey — spent more than $250,000 per lane-mile of highway.

Missouri figures to spend more on its highway infrastructure in the coming years as a graduated tax on motor fuels took effect Oct. 1, approved in May by the state's General Assembly.

Additionally, Missouri stands to receive millions to repair roads and bridges following approval of the recent infrastructure bill in Congress.

Reason's report measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-controlled highways in 13 categories — among them, urban and rural pavement status, deficient bridges, traffic fatalities, spending per mile and administrative costs per mile of assessed highway.

Nationally, the study finds America's highway system is incrementally improving in almost every category.

A 10-year average, however, indicates the nation's highway system problems are concentrated in the bottom 10 states and despite spending more and more money, these worst-performing states are finding it difficult to improve.

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