These are Michigan’s worst roads in 2023

More than 1,700 sections of road in Michigan not only failed the 2023 assessment—they received the worst possible grade.

Using a rating system of 1 to 10 known as the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system, about 1.8% of roads evaluated in Michigan received a grade of “1,” the worst possible rating.

Oakland, the state’s second most populous county, has the most miles of roads rated 1 (41.1). In 2023, there were 235 road segments rated 0 in the county, representing less than 3% of rated roads.

Alger County in the eastern Upper Peninsula has the second most miles of damaged roads at 37.7 miles, followed by Calhoun (36.8), Ingham (36), Saginaw (33.3) and Washtenaw (21.9).

Michigan is required to rate its major state-funded roads every two years using the PASER system. Local roads are often rated as well, but not every two years.

Related: Which county in Michigan has the most “bad” roads? Ranking 1 to 81

For this year’s Michigan Roads & Bridges annual report, released in May, about 68% of the state’s 88,000 miles of federally funded roadways were assessed. The remaining 32% was carried over from 2022 and will be reassessed in 2024.

In 2023, about a quarter of the municipal roads were assessed.

The grade “1” means that the road is in poor condition and needs to be completely rehabilitated. Most of the “1” roads were local roads (1,544) and not federal roads (190).

Below is a map of all the roads in Michigan that received a “1” rating in the latest road condition report. Zoom in and click on a road to see more information, such as how many lanes it has and what type of pavement it has.

Alger County received a failing grade for 10.5% of the roads evaluated, the highest in the state. Iosco County came closest to an A grade with 9.9%, followed by Ingham (8.7%), St. Clair (7.7%) and Jackson (3.7%).

Meanwhile, 30 counties did not receive a single “1.” They were: Antrim, Benzie, Branch, Cass, Charlevoix, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Huron, Ionia, Iron, Leelanau, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Menominee, Missaukee, Osceola, Oscoda, Roscommon, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, Tuscola and Wexford.

Below is a database showing the number of “1” roads each county has and the percentage that received a failing grade in the 2023 report. While the data is broken down by county, there are a number of jurisdictions responsible for maintaining roads within county boundaries (e.g., county road agencies, Michigan Department of Transportation, etc.).

Consultants have estimated that Michigan’s road system is underfunded by $3.9 billion annually, and without changes in revenue sources, further declines are likely.

The state is considering a pilot program that would allow volunteers to forgo the gas tax and registration fee they already pay and instead pay a per-mile fee. If the system is successful, it could eventually replace Michigan’s fuel tax system and help fund road maintenance and repairs.