The Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure on May 29, 2025, assigning 12 categories of infrastructure a cumulative grade of ‘C+', which is unchanged from the last report card in 2020.
Utah is one of only three states with a ‘C+' grade, the highest grade ASCE has ever assigned to a state's infrastructure. Only two other states, Georgia and Wisconsin, have ‘C+' infrastructure grades.
Utah's grade is one step higher than the national infrastructure grade of ‘C' in the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which was released in March.
Utah's aviation infrastructure was the only category to see a grade increase, while three categories (bridges, stormwater and transit) saw decreases. The remaining eight categories maintained the same grade as in 2020.
Roads received a B+, while bridges received a B and drinking water, solid waste and transit got B-. Aviation, dams and hazardous waste received a grade of C+, while stormwater and wastewater received a C. Trailing behind were canals with a D+ and levees with a D-.
"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," said Craig Friant, chair of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure.
The investments in infrastructure that Utah leaders have prioritized have helped the state earn high grades for roads and bridges. Roads received a ‘B+' grade, which is significantly higher than the national ‘D+'. In 2023, state lawmakers approved the largest investment ever in Utah's transportation funding, committing to more than $14 billion in upgrades and new construction over the next six years to help build or expand roads and highways in all parts of the state.
Utah's bridges saw a one-step grade decrease to a ‘B' in the 2025 report card, while higher than the national bridge grade of ‘C' it is a sign that the data currently available indicates worsening conditions. In 2020, 38 percent of bridges in the state were in good condition, compared with 22 percent in 2024. While the state has worked diligently to prioritize preservation, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges, rapid increases in construction costs and an aging bridge inventory mean that existing funding levels can no longer support the number of bridge projects the state has historically supported.
As communities across the West deal with concerns about reliable water supplies due to ongoing drought and increased demand, Utah's drinking water grade is unchanged at a ‘B-'. Utahns are doing their part to help preserve water supplies by reducing home water usage by 20 percent over the last two decades. However, existing water sources are facing additional stress due to regular drought conditions, decreased winter snowpack and the increasing number of people and businesses in Utah.
Even as Utah contends with water shortages, the state's dams, levees and canals are being tested by intense storms and flooding events. The grade for Utah's dams remained a ‘C+'. Only 52 percent of Utah's high-hazard potential dams are in satisfactory condition. It will take approximately $450 million in funding to bring all the state's high-hazard potential dams up to 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. Most canals were built in the 1800s for irrigation purposes, and since many of them are privately owned, there is limited information available on their condition.
Utah's investment in aviation infrastructure helped increase the grade to a ‘C+', which is a one-step increase from the 2020 report card. The new terminal at Salt Lake City International Airport has helped prepare Utah's biggest airport for the future.
The report card was created as a public service to inform citizens and policymakers about the infrastructure needs in Utah. Civil engineers use their expertise and school report card-style letter grades to condense complicated data into an easy-to-understand analysis of Utah's infrastructure network.
