Infrastructure Gets a D-Plus

A civil engineering group gave Indiana’s infrastructure a grade of D-plus in a report card, warning it needs billions of dollars in improvements. The state’s grade was slightly higher than the nationwide average of D.

The Indiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ report reviewed seven infrastructure categories and assigned letter grades based on physical conditions and fiscal needs. The grading scale ran from A to F.

The categories include aviation, which earned a C; bridges, which earned the state’s highest grade, a C-plus; dams, which earned a D-minus; drinking water, which earned a D-plus; rail, which earned a D-plus; roads, which earned a C-minus; and wastewater, which earned a D-minus. 

The report said at least $3.5 billion is needed for bridges alone. It deemed an “imminent collapse unlikely,” but said the data “reflects a gradual meltdown of our bridge network, unless preventative and corrective action is taken now.”

Just under 77% of county roads and 19% of state-owned roads are considered unsatisfactory, the engineers said.

“Needed repairs amount to approximately $3.5 billion, with a shortfall of nearly $715 million per year for maintenance of city and county roads,” the report said. “State-owned roads will require an additional $21.8 billion from 2016 to 2030 for maintenance and expansion.”

The report also noted that Indiana’s aviation infrastructure is the only mode of transportation without a dedicated revenue source, and urged the state’s aviation leaders to “seek out new funding techniques to maintain efficient air travel.”

Despite the grim prognosis, Indiana scored higher than the national average on most categories.

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