Maintenance disbursements are the costs to perform routine upkeep, such as filling in potholes and repaving roads.
Maintenance disbursements comprise about 16.8% of total disbursements, totaling $26.55 billion in 2018, up 13.8% from 2016 ($23.33 billion), the last time this assessment was completed.
This year we measure maintenance disbursements per SHA, lane-mile, and vehicle-miles traveled per lane-mile. Last year, we measured them in lane-miles, while in prior years we used centerline-miles. The average 2018 per-mile disbursement is $15,952 (Table 8, Maintenance Disbursements by State, 2018, Figure 3), up 33.7% from $11,929 in 2016. This increase maintains a generally steady spending trend over the last decade. Since 2007, these per-mile disbursements have increased by about 54%, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased by about 22%.
In 2016, New Mexico, North Dakota, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arizona reported the lowest overall maintenance expenditures. New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Washington, and Alaska reported the highest overall expenditures. In terms of disbursements per lane-mile, the largest percentage shifts from 2016 to 2018 were Alabama and New Mexico with increases of 82% and 52%, respectively, and Idaho and Arkansas with decreases of 156% and 94%, respectively.
When using SHA miles, the largest percentage shifts from 2016 to 2018 were Alabama and Washington with increases of 458% and 300%, respectively, and Oklahoma and West Virginia, each with decreases of more than 30%. Some of the disbursements per state-controlled mile can vary widely from year to year—reflecting funding actions and project schedules.
Maintenance Disbursements Per State-Controlled Mile
| 2018 Rank | State | Z Score | Disbursement Per SHA | Disbursement Per Lane Mile | Disbursement Per VMT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | -2.86 | $4,069 | $989 | $1,782 |
| 2 | North Dakota | -2.68 | $3,871 | $1,648 | $2,903 |
| 3 | Mississippi | -2.4 | $10,470 | $4,016 | $2,807 |
| 4 | Alabama | -2.25 | $15,424 | $5,595 | $2,370 |
| 5 | Arizona | -2.21 | $22,341 | $4,650 | $2,291 |
| 6 | Arkansas | -2.11 | $12,515 | $3,000 | $5,619 |
| 7 | Kansas | -2.01 | $14,082 | $5,898 | $4,501 |
| 8 | South Carolina | -1.9 | $9,626 | $4,382 | $6,998 |
| 9 | Missouri | -1.69 | $15,090 | $6,541 | $6,667 |
| 10 | South Dakota | -1.65 | $11,437 | $4,020 | $9,123 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | -1.63 | $23,419 | $9,248 | $4,174 |
| 12 | Idaho | -1.59 | $27,669 | $3,079 | $7,784 |
| 13 | Montana | -1.54 | $11,718 | $3,703 | $10,170 |
| 14 | North Carolina | -1.52 | $13,207 | $6,030 | $8,724 |
| 15 | Wyoming | -1.47 | $14,253 | $5,672 | $9,210 |
| 16 | Ohio | -1.46 | $27,287 | $9,992 | $4,588 |
| 17 | West Virginia | -1.46 | $6,746 | $3,242 | $11,936 |
| 18 | Tennessee | -1.42 | $27,979 | $10,094 | $4,789 |
| 19 | Iowa | -1.33 | $24,969 | $9,089 | $6,672 |
| 20 | Nevada | -1.32 | $28,024 | $10,534 | $5,348 |
| 21 | Kentucky | -1.32 | $16,451 | $7,168 | $9,188 |
| 22 | Michigan | -1.17 | $37,622 | $13,241 | $3,555 |
| 23 | Texas | -1.16 | $25,366 | $10,332 | $7,236 |
| 24 | Georgia | -1.08 | $35,471 | $12,820 | $4,842 |
| 25 | Nebraska | -1.08 | $20,313 | $8,840 | $9,631 |
| 26 | Louisiana | -0.94 | $25,868 | $10,956 | $8,623 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | -0.84 | $28,273 | $12,748 | $8,010 |
| 28 | Oregon | -0.65 | $38,350 | $13,160 | $7,918 |
| 29 | Utah | -0.45 | $42,712 | $14,889 | $7,837 |
| 30 | Minnesota | -0.23 | $45,558 | $15,700 | $8,844 |
| 31 | Illinois | -0.09 | $51,047 | $18,315 | $7,518 |
| 32 | Hawaii | 0.19 | $63,537 | $22,413 | $5,521 |
| 33 | Maine | 0.33 | $30,145 | $13,890 | $17,026 |
| 34 | Colorado | 0.43 | $57,297 | $20,612 | $9,594 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 0.5 | $48,803 | $17,951 | $13,158 |
| 36 | Virginia | 0.64 | $29,124 | $13,378 | $20,142 |
| 37 | Vermont | 0.75 | $43,253 | $18,948 | $15,473 |
| 38 | Connecticut | 1 | $74,360 | $25,753 | $8,753 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | 1.12 | $45,794 | $19,661 | $17,818 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 1.31 | $108,328 | $27,972 | $4,877 |
| 41 | Florida | 1.66 | $111,309 | $30,106 | $6,074 |
| 42 | California | 1.74 | $116,491 | $31,733 | $5,040 |
| 43 | Indiana | 1.83 | $82,730 | $31,004 | $11,299 |
| 44 | Maryland | 2.14 | $103,216 | $34,037 | $8,917 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 2.7 | $99,506 | $35,068 | $13,679 |
| 46 | Alaska | 3.63 | $42,374 | $13,555 | $43,501 |
| 47 | Washington | 4.65 | $180,764 | $31,331 | $20,437 |
| 48 | New York | 5.38 | $147,572 | $53,190 | $18,017 |
| 49 | Delaware | 6.6 | $86,808 | $39,040 | $46,308 |
| 50 | New Jersey | 8.92 | $338,380 | $68,361 | $10,186 |
| Average | $50,020 | $15,952 | $9,950 |