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SALT LAKE CITY — A new study shows nearly two-thirds of Salt Lake City's roads are in poor shape, or worse. The bigger problem: there's no money to fix them.
The city-commissioned study was conducted in June and July of 2017. A van equipped with cameras and a pavement imaging system drove 600 miles of city roads and came up with letter grades.
Results show only 10 percent of city roads rate "good" or "satisfactory." In broad categories: 63 percent of city roads are in poor condition; 37 percent are in fair or good condition.
Those findings don't surprise road department officials, who say the study quantifies what they have known for a long time.
"This is a condition in all cities throughout the United States," said Mike Reberg, director of the Department of Community and Neighborhoods. "I think what this study does is put hard data to something that we've suspected all along."
Motorists agree Salt Lake's roads are pretty rough.
"They could be better. A lot of potholes. A lot of dips," one man said.
"It's just not getting maintained," another motorist added.
The challenge is finding the money to pay for long-term improvements, Reberg said.
Related:
Report: Poor roads costing some Utah drivers $600 yearly
More than a quarter of the nation's major urban roadways, highways and streets that are the main routes for commuters and commerce are in poor condition, according to a new study.The study also shows it would cost $20 million a year over 10 years to fix the roads — which show plenty of cracks, crumbling asphalt and patchwork — and keep them on a good maintenance program. Currently, the city only spends $3.5 million a year.
Reberg said there is not enough money in the budget to simply shift funds around.
"If they really want a serious impact, (the answer) is to find a new revenue source," he said.
That could mean new taxes or a bond issue. But the current roads could already be costing Salt Lake City drivers over $600 a year in added fuel consumption, tire wear and extra maintenance, according to a 2015 report.
Mayor Jackie Biskupski is likely to address road maintenance in her State of the City address Wednesday. Reberg believes the mayor and city council are committed to making headway on this issue in 2018.
You can find an interactive map of road conditions here.
