In a national study on the status of roads and bridges, Maine slipped from 29th in the nation to 32nd.

An annual national study of the status of roads and bridges in the nation indicates Maine continues to loose ground, dropping to 32nd in the nation, from 29th in last year's report.

Professor David Hartgen, the author of the national study for the Reason Foundation says Maine has been slipping since 2000 when the state was ranked fifteenth best in the nation.

A Maine native, Hartgen visits the state frequently and sees the roads first hand. "Historically, I've seen that Maine's system, particularly the Interstate system, seems to have been kept up quite well, but the other primary routes not so well," he says. "It's a tough hand to play -- the weather's challenging to say the least, the budget situation is tight."

Transportation Commissioner David Cole says while it's disappointing to loose ground compared to other states, he says Maine has made progress in those areas it has targeted, such as bridge repairs. Cole says he is also pleased his agency was ranked fifth for administrative efficiency.