Maryland’s roads deteriorate as repair funding lags

The state’s latest transportation plan set aside about half of what transportation leaders say is needed to keep roads in good condition.

1 minute read

September 14, 2026, 8:00 AM PDT

By Zachary Whalen


Construction workers in yellow vests stand in a hole in a road in Maryland.

Maryland’s 2025 Annual Attainment Report found that as pavement conditions deteriorate, restoring roads will likely cost more. | Marcus E Jones

Under current funding projections, Maryland’s 2025 Annual Attainment Report estimates that 13% of the state’s pavement will be in poor condition by 2028, a jump from the 10% of pavement in poor condition in 2024. The state’s latest transportation plan sets aside $193.8 million for pavement resurfacing and rehabilitation in fiscal 2027 – less than half the roughly $400 million a year transportation industry leaders say is needed to keep Maryland’s roads in good repair, Tessa Bentulan writes for Fox Baltimore. 

“A Spotlight on Maryland review also found the amount the state planned to spend on that work has fluctuated sharply. Across six consecutive transportation plans, Maryland’s projected pavement funding for fiscal 2027 has ranged from $99.4 million to $236.9 million – a swing of more than $137 million for the same year,” Fox Baltimore reports.

The report found that as pavement conditions deteriorate, restoring roads will likely cost more: every $1 spent on pavement preservation while pavement is in fair or better condition can result in $6 to $12 in savings on rehabilitation or reconstruction.

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