Rural roads and bridges : condition and status of roads

The condition of local (off-system) roads and bridges has been a concern to policy makers and the agricultural community, especially after the national recession in the early 1980s and the concurrent declines in farmland prices. This report examines the condition of roads maintained by local governments based on mail questionnaire responses from county engineers and town/township road administrators in fall 1994 and spring 1995. A total of 609 counties and 1,961 towns provided usable information. The questions are similar to those in a 1987 study, so the status and conditions of roads can be compared. The discussion begins with changes in road surface type, then examines road conditions, and finally discusses the priorities which local road managers use in managing the local transportation system.