2025 ASCE report card shows US infrastructure improves to a C grade

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As we embark on the 250^th anniversary of our founding, infrastructure has seen significant changes. Transportation in the early days of our nation once relied on horses and wagons or by boat, water treatment did not exist, and construction equipment was much more simplified than the tools we use today.  With new technologies emerging such as AI and digital delivery supplanting 2-D plans with 3-D-engineered models as the primary contract document, engineers and construction professionals need to be ready for what’s coming.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has been on the forefront of these changes for almost 175 years and is emphasized in ASCE’s Strategic Plan, which outlines a commitment to inspire, connect, and serve our global membership to maximize their professional and personal growth and magnify their lifelong professional impact.

ASCE informs not only our members, but also the public and elected officials about the condition of our infrastructure through the Infrastructure Report Card, a publication produced by ASCE’s Committee on America’s Infrastructure. The committee consists of over 50 civil engineers and infrastructure professionals from across the country with decades of expertise in all 18 categories of infrastructure assessed in the report. The committee assesses all relevant data and reports, consults with technical and industry experts, and assigns grades. Many states including Pennsylvania releases their own version of the report card.

On March 25^th, 2025, ASCE released their 2025 Report Card for American’s Infrastructure to the public. The 2025 grades range from a grade of B in ports to a grade of D for both stormwater and transit. For the first time since 1998, no Report Card categories were rated D− and the overall grade was at a C, the highest since the program began. Among the 18 categories assessed, eight saw grade increases and only two grades – energy and rail – saw grade decreases. While this is promising, continued sustained infrastructure investments are necessary so that stakeholders are able to plan with certainty for the completion of major projects.

The ASCE Pennsylvania State Council, which represents the four Pennsylvania Sections of ASCE is currently working on the next edition of the Report Card for Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure with an anticipated release this November. The 2022 Pennsylvania report card received an overall grade of a C-. While there has been progress over the years that led to grade increases, including aviation to a B- and roads to a C-, Pennsylvania has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country and significant maintenance funding backlogs.

With the signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021, the largest federal infrastructure investment in U.S. history, we began to see increases in investment across all areas of infrastructure. However, with the expiration of the bill set for September 30^th of this year and no immediate plans to reauthorize the funding in the works, short-term extensions will likely have an effect on long-term planning for agencies and states like Pennsylvania. We need to continue to prioritize state legislation that will have an impact on funding projects across the Commonwealth that facilitate public safety and continued economic growth.