March 22, 2013 / Modified mar 23, 2013 6:26 a.m.

Half of AZ Roads in Bad Condition, Report Says

968 bridges also found deficient or obsolete by civil engineering group

A new report says more than half of Arizona's roads are in poor or mediocre condition and nearly 1,000 of the state's bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

The American Society of Civil Engineers rates the nation's infrastructure every four years.

Engineers evaluate conditions and improvement needs for roads, bridges, drinking-water systems, ports, mass transit and the electric grid.

The report says of Arizona's more than 60,000 miles of public roads, 52 percent are in bad shape.

The ASCE says the state's poor road conditions cost drivers $887 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs.

KTVK-TV says that breaks down to $205 per motorist.

ASCE's study also shows 247 of Arizona's bridges are considered to be structurally deficient and 721 are considered functionally obsolete.

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