Half of U.S. roads in poor shape -Highway officials

(This report is part of a Reuters series on infrastructure)

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - Half of the roads in the United States are in bad condition, and in some urban areas that proportion is closer to 60 percent, according to a report released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on Friday.

Some 72 percent of the interstate highways, though, are considered in good condition, according to the report.

Urban drivers may be shouldering the biggest burden of the dilapidated roads. Those in cities with populations of more than 250,000 pay an average of $746 each year on vehicle repairs, new tires and additional fuel consumption, nearly double the $335 the average U.S. motorist pays.

Population surges in certain cities and suburbs, combined with the rising cost of road repair, have all led to the wear and tear, AASHTO said. Freight truck traffic has also taken a toll on the roads.

AASHTO released the report as the U.S. Congress drafts the blueprint for federal spending on surface transportation for the next five years.

The trade group said that billions of dollars for repair should be included in the bill and warned that many Americans may think the stimulus plan enacted in February, which put a little less than $50 billion toward transportaion, would put the country's roads back in shape.

AASHTO estimates the government should invest $166 billion in highways and bridges each year, and that half of that should go to maintenance.

(For more on infrastructure, please visit: here) (Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Jan Paschal)