Why are mountain roads in the US so poorly maintained?

Question

unless it is an interstate freeway, any mountain road or even most highways are poorly maintained in the US.

Answer 1

I suspect that mountain roads are in bad shape because of winter abuse, like salting and freezing temps.

The road maintenance funds are constantly being "borrowed" and put in the general fund, and then never returned. THEN, the state lawmakers start crying about needing to raise taxes again so they can steal....OOPS, I mean "borrow" some more.

Answer 2

Repairing roads cost money. The state (in most cases) pays for the upkeep of the interstate and can afford to do so. Local roads are the responsibility of the local government which typically is not flush with money because population density in the mountains tend to be pretty low. That and maintaining little traveled roads is not a priority.

Answer 3

Usually roads you describe are maintained by counties and towns depending where they are. According to budget limitations they often are skipped. If your roads are anything like Upstate NY country roads often they look like "mine fields". People have wright letters, to go to town or county board meetings and scream their lungs out.
Are roads take a terrible beating because all of NY dumps large quantities of rock salt on the roads in the winter to prevent ice and snow build-up.
It's a big joke around here because even though our roads do not actually need the salt toward spring, they seem to waste it anyway. It seems that if they don't use it all in a complete year the new budget will not replace the previous usage. Waste, waste and more waste.
Salt really rips asphalt and concrete to pieces because of the constant freezing and thawing. The sub-base under the roads melt and thaw. Water comes up between the cracks in the asphalt it freezes and thaws back out again and again.

Answer 4

The answer to your question is due to the economics of the situation. In conservative society in which we are in currently the government does not want to spend the money because the mentallity is smaller government. In California the money is allocated from the extra taxes we pay for each gallon of gas. When I went on my trip to Arizona there was a dramatic drop in the price of gas. It was 3.49 per gallon here in the San Francisco Bay area and only 2.99 in Phoenix. In the East Coast they get their money by toll roads everywhere. That is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans want to reduce taxes to protect the rich to make them richer. Democrats are more apt to tax the rich to help the poorer people and spend money for the common good of everyone

Answer 5

Because more people use the Interstates more than the regular mountain roads,that's why!

Answer 6

1 It's more expensive. 2 people like more of the scenes and the natural area.

Answer 7

Because it is more expensive to bring people out there to fix/maintain them.

Answer 8

THE STATE DOES NOT APPROATE AS MUCH MONEY TO KEEP THEM IN AS GOOD A SHAPE AS THE INTER STATES. THE COUNTY GET,S STATE TAX DOLLAR,S PER THE POPLATION IN EACH COUNTY. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE THE MORE MONEY THEY GET. NEXT QUESTION PLEASE.