CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you added up the length of all the traffic lanes in North Carolina, we'd be in the top 20 states with the most miles of roads. A viewer wanted to know how North Carolina ranks nationally in terms of the mileage maintained by NCDOT.
CLAIM:
North Carolina has more miles of state-supported roads than every other state except for Texas.
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, North Carolina has more miles of state-supported roads than every other state except for Texas.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Texas and California are big states, so you'd think they'd be neck and neck.
Even though California has more roads than North Carolina, the state of California is responsible for maintaining only 52,000 miles.
Meantime, the Texas Department of Transportation claims the lone state maintains more than 197,000 lanes of Texas roadways.
According to NCDOT, here in North Carolina, the Tar Heel state maintains 80,483 miles of road. If you take that mileage, it could wrap around the world three times.
"That’s more than any DOT in the country except Texas, and I think the main reason for that is how it's set up," Thompson said.
Thompson said in 1915, the highway commission formatted the roads to be mostly maintained by the state, and it's stayed that way ever since.
"In North Carolina, we have DOT, city or municipality that would maintain the road. There is like no middle layer, no in-between like a county," Thompson said.
NCDOT is not just responsible for roadways but has other projects that keep things looking good.
"Everything from maintaining the pavement conditions has to fill potholes, painting stripping, mowing, and even cutting back trees," Thompson said.
NCDOT mainly gets funding from motor fuel tax, highway use tax, and DMV fees and grants. Thompson said they are always looking at other ways to adapt to the times to figure out other revenue streams.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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