Deseret News | Rough rides — and smooth: State's roads 5th best, but perfection is a ways off

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Rough rides — and smooth: State's roads 5th best, but perfection is a ways off

Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, April 5, 2006 12:32 p.m. MDT

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"The smoothest roads are the ones that had the most recent treatment," Braceras said. "The roughest are in sections that we give lower priority. For example, it isn't as important to have a really smooth road to the boat ramp at Steinaker Reservoir as it is for I-15 (to be smooth). It carries a lot more cars."

Segment data

Data for individual one-mile segments of highways, as opposed to averages for entire highways, also often reflect such priorities.

For example, the 10 smoothest individual one-mile segments of highway in Utah are all on interstate freeways. So are 18 of the top 20 and 36 of the top 40.

All of those top 40 have "ride indexes" of 27 or below, all well within the range considered "very good."

The worst individual segments tend to be lesser traveled roads but sometimes also include sections of Interstates or other major highways.

The worst of the worst was a segment of U-113 near Heber, with an astronomical "ride index" of 552, more than four times higher than the "ride index" point of 126 where roads are considered "very poor" or very rough.

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Other segments with high ride indexes (before this summer's road work) were: U.S. 89, State Street in Provo near 500 West, with a ride index of 326; part of U-301 around Steinaker State Park (ride index of 290); a section of I-84 near Tremonton (ride index 284); and U.S. 89 near Garden City (ride index of 277.)

"There are very good spots, and some that are really bad," Braceras acknowledges. "We've got some big projects programmed over the next few years to address the worst pieces," especially those on interstates, he said.

Some of the lesser-used roads in poor shape may have to wait a long time for improvements.

"It's important to acknowledge that we look at the function of these roads" to determine priorities for repairs and funding, Braceras said. "The commission and the department put money on roads that serve a higher function and a higher priority."

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