Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released their first report card for the state since 2018.
It looks through Montana’s dams, bridges, roads and more and gives a letter grade on where our infrastructure stands.
Montana’s 2024 Infrastructure Report Card examines 14 areas of Montana infrastructure and a group of engineers give a letter grade to each. The overall grade was a C-. Not terrible but there is room for improvements, professionals said.
“The main takeaway is there’s still more to be done,” said Daniel Karlin, the ASCE past regional governor. “Infrastructure is a constant ongoing need that everyone in the state needs, everyone in the country needs.”
Karlin works as the county engineer for Lewis and Clark. He’s worked several reports and said the one in 2018, received a C grading. One impact on the lowered grade is the added categories.
“We added several categories,” he said. “When you’re doing a GPA things average out.”
According to the document, the grading methodology includes capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation.
Aviation (Grade: C)
- Nearly 130 airports, with ongoing expansions and improvements funded by federal and state investments. Runway and taxiway conditions are satisfactory but aging.
- Challenges: Need for continued maintenance and workforce development.
Bridges (Grade: C)
- Over 5,200 bridges, with 15% requiring immediate repairs. The number of load-posted or closed bridges is rising.
- Challenges: $535 million is the anticipated funding to repair bridges but $4.4 billion is the estimated cost to address bridge infrastructure needs.
Broadband (Grade: Incomplete)
- 71% of locations meet the speed standard but lagging behind the national average of 93%. Ongoing investments aim for statewide broadband access by 2030.
- Challenges: Affordability, computer literacy gaps and rural access issues.
Dams (Grade: C)
- Over 3,000 dams, with 206 classified as High-Hazard Potential. Aging infrastructure requires substantial investment.
- Challenges: Limited funding for necessary repairs, especially for privately owned dams. 81% of the state’s dams are privately owned.
Drinking Water (Grade: C)
- Over 2,300 systems, many in need of upgrades for treatment, storage, and lead line removal. The past couple of years has seen total funding for water and wastewater projects in the state average over $250 million.
- Challenges: A $2.3 billion funding gap and a shortage of certified water operators. Rising costs due to new regulations on contaminants like PFAS.
Energy (Grade: C)
- Diverse energy sources including coal, natural gas, and renewables like wind and solar. According to the document, the state ranks 4th in the nation for per capita energy consumption due to its energy-intensive industries, long travel distances and harsh winters.
- Challenges: Aging grid infrastructure, need for modernization, and growing demand driven by population and tourism growth.
Hazardous Waste (Grade: C)
- 18 Superfund sites and numerous hazardous waste sites needing remediation.
- Challenges: Inadequate funding for cleanup and management, with climate change adding to risks.
Public Parks (Grade: C)
- Over 30 million acres of public lands, with a significant increase in visitors.
- Challenges: Strain on infrastructure, especially roads and water systems. Staffing shortages and budget constraints hinder operations.
Rail (Grade: C+)
- Nearly 3,700 miles of track, crucial for transporting goods. The document says freight operations dominate, with Class I railroads owning over 70% of track in the state.
- Challenges: Aging infrastructure, capacity issues, safety concerns, and vulnerabilities to weather events. Modernization is needed for future growth.
Roads (Grade: C)
- 13,000 miles of state-managed roads and over 63.000 miles of county, municipal and tribal roads, but funding levels fall short of needs.
- Challenges: Increased traffic, aging infrastructure, and rising costs. A funding shortfall threatens road safety and future economic growth.
Schools (Grade: D)
- 826 K-12 schools, 68% were built before 1970.
- Challenges: Underfunding for repairs and upgrades, compounded by rising energy costs and declining enrollment.
Solid Waste (Grade: C)
- High per capita waste generation rate, limited recycling infrastructure, and low energy conversion from waste. The report says Montana residents generated approximately 1.5 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2023.
- Challenges: Insufficient funding for waste management innovation, limited recycling facilities and capacity constraints in landfills. Montana has a recycling rate of about 19%, below the national average of 32%.
Stormwater (Grade: D)
- Poor stormwater management in rural areas and outdated systems in urban regions.
- Challenges: Agricultural runoff, unpredictable weather patterns and insufficient capacity to handle growing stormwater needs. It needs an estimated $22 million to improve.
Wastewater (Grade: C)
- Over 500 public systems serving around 616,000 residents, with many relying on outdated treatment methods.
- Challenges: $347 million needed for upgrades, especially in collection and treatment systems. Insufficient funding to address the backlog of necessary improvements.
Though this year’s report card was a slight step down, Karlin doesn’t want people to be discouraged. Many projects to improve infrastructure take time and the improvements won’t be seen until a few years down the line.
“Those kinds of things take time,” he said. “These projects can be very large that are necessary to actually raise the grade.”
The report does offer suggestions on how to improve — including fostering partnerships with political leadership, being collaborative in solutions and, arguably the biggest, is the need for long term funding. According to the report, Montana’s infrastructure has faced underinvestment but there have been recent efforts to improve. This includes the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
“Temporary funding is great but it’s really hard to plan around,” Karlin said. “As I mentioned before some of these programs take a while to get started and they take time. So consistent, steady funding is our number one recommendation.”
The full report card can be found at infrastructurereportcard.org.
“No one argues with their cardiologist when they tell them they need to do something for their heart,” Karlin said. “They’re the experts, they know what’s going on inside your body. Engineers, likewise, we know what’s going on with the ground, with the infrastructure, storm water, wastewater, things like that. Things you don’t necessarily pay attention to in your daily life.”