Montana’s statewide infrastructure got a "C minus" on a report card issued this month by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Society’s report card grades 14 categories of Montana infrastructure, from roads and bridges to schools and power grids. Montana’s 2024 grade is a downgrade from the "C" earned in 2018.
Lexi Leffler chaired the committee that prepared the report: She says one of the main factors for the downgrade is that Montana’s population growth is outpacing the state’s infrastructural capacity.
That really was a common theme between all the infrastructure categories, the strain that’s been putting on our infrastructure,” says Leffler.
Another key factor wearing down Montana infrastructure is extreme weather and climate change, which strain power grids and damage transportation networks.
Leffler says the keys to improving Montana’s infrastructure grades are long-term funding and investment in climate-resilient renovations.
“I think for us and what we see in our infrastructure world is continued funding is the biggest thing. And taking a close look at making our, the things we are putting money into improving, making sure they’re robust and they’ll withstand,” Leffler says.
The ASCE will release a national report card on America’s infrastructure in 2025. In 2021 the group gave the nation as a whole a "C minus" on infrastructure health.
