The nation's truckers rate Pennsylvania's I-80 as the worst road on the Interstate Highway System.
Truckers complained that I-80 across the northern part of the Keystone state was potholed, crumbling and hopelessly overcrowded, according to a survey conducted for the November issue of Overdrive, a magazine for truckers.In the runner-up spot was I-80 in Illinois, followed by New York's Cross Bronx Expressway, which is part of I-95; Arkansas' I-40, Pennsylvania's I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike), Louisiana's I-10, Cali-for-nia's I-5, Illinois' I-94, Louisiana's I-20, Pennsylvania's I-81 and I-30 in Arkansas.
Truckers also specifically mentioned New York City, Detroit and Chicago as having the worst roads on the interstate system.
The truckers' favorite interstate is Indiana's I-70 because it had few potholes and no congestion.
Ohio's I-80 won the runner-up spot, followed by Georgia's and Florida's I-75, Virginia's I-95, Tennessee's I-81, Indiana's I-80 (the Indiana Turnpike), Ohio's I-90, Texas' I-40, and New York's I-90.
The survey was conducted by Martin Labbe Associates, Ormond Beach, Fla., a polling firm specializing in research for the transportation industry.
G.C. Skipper, Overdrive's editor, said a total of 4,000 randomly selected truckers were surveyed.
Skipper said the truckers also complained about constant construction, cracks, patches, high tolls, narrow lanes, rules restricting trucks and dangerous on-off ramps.
Three states - Alabama, Vermont and Washington - did not receive any "worst roads" complaints. But the interstates in those three states did not merit a place on the best list, either.
In 1991 and 1992, truckers named New York's Cross Bronx Expressway as the worst road in the country. Pennsylvania's I-80 has won for the last three years.
The truckers also voted Pennsylvania's highways as the worst roads in the United States during the past five years.
Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation response: "Our interstate system requires constant renewal and maintenance at enormous cost to our taxpayers. Interstate 80 probably will never be a favorite drive for truckers."
A "free" highway through the mountains of Pennsylvania, I-80 carries 7,000 to 9,000 heavy trucks a day, the spokesman said.
"That's a hard drive for truckers, especially in bad weather, and we assume I-80 would rank among the most difficult even with a fair opinion sampling," he added.