In Queensland, roads are generally reasonably (but not lavishly) maintained, but the type of road (multiple lanes etc etc) definitely has a direct relation to the number of votes in the area rather than the economic need & production. Half the state's population lives around Brisbane, some 750 km south of me & maybe up to 2500 km from some parts of the state & as a result the 6 lane highways, overpasses, tunnels, passing lanes etc have petered out long before the heavy transports get up our way.
I will admit though that the Capricorn Highway is now 2 sealed lanes most of its way from Rockhampton to Alpha, whereas only 25 years back, most of it was single lane bitumen & vehicles had to get one set of wheels in the dirt when passing. And it only took the world's largest concentration of coal production to get that. Now if we could only get the rural highways flood proofed.......
For comparison, the state has an area of about 700,000 sq miles (Texas 270,000 sq miles approx)
Just my winge in advance of the state election due in the next couple of months
