The state of America's infrastructure gets highest-ever marks, but key areas lacking

Yahoo

26-03-2025

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on Tuesday released its latest report on the health of U.S. infrastructure, which received its highest-ever overall grade, though several key areas received relatively poor marks.
ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which is released every four years grading infrastructure using an A-to-F school report card format, gave U.S. infrastructure a C on an overall basis – an improvement from the C- grade it issued four years ago as about half of the 18 categories assessed saw incremental improvements. The C grade is the highest ever national infrastructure grade dating back to the inception of ASCE's Report Card in 1998.
It noted that infrastructure investments approved as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law have helped contribute to that improvement, though ASCE warned that the investment gap between current infrastructure investment plans and what would be needed to get the nation's infrastructure in good working order has risen. The gap widened from $2.59 trillion four years ago to $3.7 trillion this year.
"Every American household or business immediately feels the impact of just one inefficiency or failure in our built environment," said Darren Olson, 2025 report card chair at ASCE. "However, if we maintain investments, each American household can save $700 per year. Better infrastructure is an efficient investment of taxpayer dollars that results in a stronger economy and prioritizes American jobs, resilience and connectivity."
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According to ASCE's grade structure, grades in the B tier are considered "good, adequate for now," while the C tier is "mediocre, requires attention" and the D tier is considered "poor, at risk." Though none were awarded in this year's edition, A grades are "exceptional, fit for the future" – while F grades are "failing/critical, unfit for purpose."
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In the 2025 report, grades ranged from B to D and for the first time since 1998, no categories earned a D- grade. Of the 18 infrastructure categories graded, eight improved from the 2021 report while two received lower grades in this year's edition.
Ports scored the highest with a B after improving from the previous report, while a B- grade was awarded to rail infrastructure – which represented a decline from four years ago.
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Broadband and solid waste infrastructure each received a C+ grade; while bridges and hazardous waste received C grades. Drinking water, public parks and inland waterways all received C- grades. Of the categories with grades in the C range, hazardous waste, inland waterways and public parks saw improved grades compared with the 2021 report.
ASCE gave D+ grades to aviation, dams, energy, levees, roads, schools and wastewater infrastructure. The grade for energy infrastructure declined from four years ago while the report found that dams, levees and roads merited improved grades in this year's report. Stormwater and transit infrastructure received a D grade, which in the case of transit represented an improvement from 2021.
ASCE's report also assessed the funding gap between needs and funds provided for the 18 infrastructure categories over the 2024-2033 period based on deferred maintenance needs. The estimated funding gap across all infrastructure categories came to a cumulative $3.689 trillion over that period.
Among the more troubled infrastructure categories that merited grades in the D range, wastewater and stormwater combined for the largest funding gap of $690 billion, followed closely by roads with a $684 billion gap. Energy infrastructure's $578 billion gap was the third largest of the D-tier categories, followed by schools ($429 billion), dams ($166 billion), transit ($152 billion), aviation ($113 billion) and levees ($91 billion).
Among infrastructure categories in the B and C grade tiers, bridges had the largest funding gap at $373 billion, followed by drinking water at $309 billion.
Most of the remaining infrastructure categories had funding gaps estimated at $44 billion or less. Broadband had no funding gap because its $61 billion need has been funded over the 2024-2033 period, according to ASCE's analysis.
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To improve America's infrastructure grades ahead of its next report in four years, ASCE said that "continued – and in some cases, increased – investment is necessary despite recent resources slowing the growth of America's infrastructure gap."
ASCE said that Congress should maintain investment levels under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) when it expires next year and fully fund authorized programs during the appropriations process. The group urged federal, state and local governments to expand the use of public-private partnerships for appropriate projects and find ways to leverage additional financing tools.
It also called for Congress to ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, which is projected to be depleted in 2028, along with ensuring that State Revolving Funds for Clean Watersheds and Drinking Water don't experience revenue losses.
ASCE added that project owners should consider life-cycle costs throughout the planning, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of projects to get the most value – while owners and operators of infrastructure need to generate the revenue needed to cover those costs.
"Infrastructure owners and operators must charge rates reflecting the true cost of using, maintaining, and improving infrastructure. They will need to educate the public on the actual cost to deliver those services so they can understand set rates," ASCE wrote.Original article source: The state of America's infrastructure gets highest-ever marks, but key areas lacking