Report says New Hampshire’s rural roads need a lot of work
21% of pavements rated in in poor condition, study finds
Over one-fifth of New Hampshire’s rural roads are in poor condition – one of the highest percentages in the nation, according to a report by the national transportation research group TRIP.
According to TRIP’s recently released report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” 
21% of New Hampshire’s rural pavements are in poor condition – the 10th worst percentage in the country. the report also found that 18% of the state’s rural roads are in mediocre condition, 11% are in fair condition and 50% are good condition.
In addition, according to the report, 9% of the state’s rural bridges are in poor condition or structurally deficient, meaning there is significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge. Some 41% are rated in fair condition and 50% are in good condition.
Nationally, according to the report, 15% percent of U.S. rural roads are rated in poor condition, while 21% are in mediocre condition. Some 17% of the nation’s rural roads are in fair condition and the remaining 47% are in good condition. As in New Hampshire, 9% of the nation’s rural bridges are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition. to the report, the nation’s rural transportation system “is in need of immediate improvements to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates and inadequate connectivity and capacity.”
In addition, the TRIP report finds that traffic crashes and fatalities on rural non-Interstate roads are disproportionately high, occurring at a rate nearly 2½ times higher than on all other roads.
In 2017, non-Interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.14 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.88 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.
In this case, New Hampshire is far below the national average, with a traffic fatality rate of 1.09 deaths on rural roads and 0.59 deaths on all other roads.
To see the full report, click here.
