Potholes in Hawaii, snarls in Calif. - N.C.?

South Carolina gets high marks and North Carolina middling grades in state highway performance and cost-effectiveness, according to the Reason Foundation's 19th Annual Highway Report released today. S.C. ranked 6th and North Carolina ranked 21st.

The study ranked each state's interstate highways and state-controlled roads in 11 categories, including costs per mile, congestion, pavement condition, deficient bridges and fatalities. National performance improved greatly in 2008. South Carolina ranked 1st in total highway disbursements, 48th in fatalities, 22nd in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges and 38th in urban Interstate congestion. North Carolina ranked 34th in fatalities, 41st in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges and 42nd in urban Interstate congestion.

Overall, North Dakota, Montana and Kansas hade the most cost-effective state highway systems. Rhode Island, Alaska, California, Hawaii and New York have the least cost-effective roads.

The nonprofit found improvement in conditions nationwide but attributed it partly to the recession: people are driving less which has helped slow pavement deterioration and reduced traffic congestion and fatalities.

Drivers in California, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Connecticut are stuck in the worst traffic. Motorists in California and Hawaii have to look out for the most potholes on urban Interstates.Rhode Island has the most troubled bridges in the country, with over 53 percent of bridges deficient.

The full Annual Highway Report with detailed state-by-state analysis is online here: http://click.email.reason.org/?qs=d3d26cde737ab2ea7169e92d9be8c7894ca975ff4fca9385698df62ba63d16cb