ASCE's Utah Infrastructure Report Card: C-
On May 29th, the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure at the state capitol building in Salt Lake City. The results are a blend of progress and ongoing challenges. The report assigns a cumulative grade of 'C+' to Utah's infrastructure, maintaining the same grade as the previous report card in 2020. This grade is notable as Utah is one of only three states to achieve a 'C+', the highest grade ASCE has ever assigned to a state's infrastructure. Georgia and Wisconsin are the other states with a 'C+' grade. This is the first state report card issued since the release of the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, where the national infrastructure grade improved to a 'C'.
Aviation Takes Off, But Bridges and Transit Face Turbulence
Utah's aviation infrastructure was the only category to see an improvement, while bridges, stormwater, and transit experienced declines. The grades for each category are as follows:
Grade/ Categories
B+ Roads
B Bridges
B- Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Transit
C+ Aviation, Dams, Hazardous Waste
C Stormwater, Wastewater
D+ Canals
D- Levees
Craig Friant, PE, chair of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure, emphasized the importance of proactive solutions to address the challenges posed by a growing population and frequent droughts. "Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and state leaders have taken steps to ensure the reliability of infrastructure systems as more people move here to enjoy Utah's thriving communities, amazing outdoors, and high quality of life," he said. "However, a growing population and more frequent droughts also mean our water supply faces ongoing threats. While Utahns have drastically reduced their water usage, there are ongoing challenges, and leaders need to be proactive with solutions."
Investments in Roads and Bridges
Utah's roads received a 'B+' grade, significantly higher than the national 'D+'. This high grade is attributed to the largest investment ever in Utah's transportation funding, with over $14 billion committed to upgrades and new construction over the next six years. Approximately 95 percent of roads in the state are in good or fair condition, thanks to proactive maintenance on the state's most-traveled highways.
However, Utah's bridges saw a one-step grade decrease to a 'B'. Despite being higher than the national bridge grade of 'C', the data indicates worsening conditions. (Some recently completed bridge projects may not be included in the latest available data.) The percentage of bridges in good condition dropped from 38 percent in 2020 to 22 percent in 2024. Rapid increases in construction costs and an aging bridge inventory are contributing factors. Approximately 35 percent of bridges in Utah are more than 50 years old, and at the current pace, it would take more than a century to replace all existing bridges in the state.
Water Supply and Flood Management
Utah's drinking water grade remains unchanged at a 'B-'. While Utahns have reduced home water usage by 20 percent over the last two decades, ongoing drought conditions and increased demand are stressing existing water sources. The Utah State Water Plan estimates that needed improvements and repairs to the state's water infrastructure will total $38 billion between now and 2060.
Intense storms and flooding events are also testing the state's dams, levees, and canals. The grade for Utah's dams remained a 'C+', with only 52 percent of high-hazard potential dams in satisfactory condition. Utah's levees received the lowest grade on the report card, a 'D-', the same grade as in 2020. These levees protect more than $13 billion worth of property and infrastructure, including densely populated communities and key facilities like Salt Lake City International Airport. Utah's canals, which received a 'D+' grade, are also part of the state's flood management plan. Many of Utah's levees and canals were constructed before modern construction standards were implemented, and there is limited information available on their design, construction methods, and current condition.
Aviation Infrastructure Improvement
Utah's investment in aviation infrastructure helped increase the category grade to a 'C+', a one-step improvement from the 2020 report card. The new terminal at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has prepared Utah's biggest airport for the future. In 2023, nearly 13 million people boarded planes at SLC, and upon completion in 2027, the airport will be capable of handling 34 million passengers annually.
Recommendations for Improvement
The 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure includes several recommendations to raise the grades:
Planning for the Future: Conduct regular, comprehensive analyses of future infrastructure needs, especially for water resources, canals, transportation, transit, and waste management. Provide consistent, reliable funding to support improvements, maintenance, resiliency, and risk reduction.
Prioritize Funding for Bridges: Increase the number of bridge replacement projects and create ongoing, dedicated funding sources to preserve, rehabilitate, or replace aging bridges.
Focus on Future Water Needs: Maximize the use of available water resources and collaborate with state agencies and stakeholders to restore the Great Salt Lake to healthy conditions. Strengthen canal infrastructure through funding for transitioning from open channel to piping, reducing losses from seepage and evaporation.
Increase Dam Safety Funding: Increase funding to $10 million annually to rehabilitate all high-hazard dams within 50 years. An increase to $20 million per year would enable faster repairs, completing all required repairs in 25 years.
We want to thank every ASCE member who volunteered their time and energy to make the release of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure a success! State report cards are an all-volunteer effort and are one of ASCE's most valuable advocacy tools to help ensure communities have safe and reliable infrastructure to keep the economy moving and to ensure public health, safety, and welfare.
