Report: Washington has one of the ‘worst-performing and least cost-effective highway systems’

(The Center Square) – The Reason Foundation’s 29th Annual Highway Report ranked Washington state dead last in three categories, suggesting that taxpayers spend far more than they’re getting in return.​

The latest edition was released on Thursday, based on 2023 data, the last complete dataset from the Federal Highway Administration. The study examines road and bridge conditions nationwide across 13 categories to identify which states have the best-performing and most cost-effective infrastructure.

Overall, Washington state ranks 48th, just below New York and above California and Alaska. It sits in the middle of the road in terms of structurally deficient bridges, urban interstate pavement conditions and rural arterial pavement conditions; and last place when...