Engineers give Montana a ‘C-‘ in new infrastructure analysis

A report released last week by the Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Montana’s infrastructure a “C-,” lower than the “C” grade it got on the same report in 2018, based primarily on a host of aging infrastructure across the large state and being underfunded to perform the upgrades needed on a quick timeline.

The 2024 Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure showed two categories of infrastructure – drinking water and schools – saw improvements from the 2018 report, though schools still received a “D” grade. Three other categories – bridges, energy, and solid waste – received downgrades.

The report said that $8 billion in federal revenue – primarily the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden – along with $2 billion in private funding and some efforts by the state to fund infrastructure improvements have made a dent in needed upgrades, but likely billions of dollars more would be necessary to get Montana’s infrastructure in a better place.

“We face significant challenges given how spread out our state is and how many environmental threats we encounter across our diverse geography, with minimal revenue sources to pull from due to our small population,” Lexi Leffler, the chair of the 2024 Report Card, said in a statement. “However, Montana’s engineers, agencies or departments, and leadership continue to work to provide an infrastructure network that keeps our residents safe and economy thriving.”

The report recommends the state work to establish dedicated, long-term funding for critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and dams, saying inconsistent funding has created a backlog of deferred maintenance. It also recommends Montana grow its workforce and educational programs to help bolster the number of workers needed to address the upgrades, and says the state should prioritize climate resilience when deciding which infrastructure to upgrade when, and in what manner that will occur.

“Montana’s diverse geography and extreme weather risks require robust strategies to enhance resilience,” the report says. “Investing in infrastructure capable of withstanding severe conditions, such as improved stormwater systems and wildfire-resistant designs, enhances resiliency and safeguards communities.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers also does a report card for U.S. infrastructure every four years. The last report, issued in 2021, gave the United States a “C-” as well. The next nationwide report will be released next March.

Along with a backlog in many of the categories, the report says Montana needs to look at the future when addressing new construction or fixing and upgrading old infrastructure.

“Montana’s infrastructure must also adapt to risk for extreme weather events, public health imperatives such as removing lead water lines, and new environmental challenges such as ‘forever chemicals’ in water supplies,” the report says.

It also says that funding has lagged for years in Montana and suggests some large increases in money need to go toward addressing certain categories of infrastructure before they fail altogether.

That includes an estimated $4.4 billion over the next decade for bridges, when current funding is anticipated to be around $535 million. The report says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency forecasts Montana needs about $2.3 billion to address drinking water infrastructure treatment and storage, while it says Montana had been putting around $170 million toward those projects until the recent boost in federal funding upped that to about $250 million a year.

The report says for roads, needs currently outpace revenue by a 3-to-1 ratio, which it says is “jeopardizing the future of Montana’s transportation system.” There are 13,000 miles of state highway and interstates in Montana and more than 63,000 miles of county, municipal and tribal roads.

The report suggests that ensuring a future with good roads in Montana would require increased funding from all levels of government, more preventative maintenance, and more advanced construction technology than is currently being used.

“Without decisive action, the state risks jeopardizing public safety, economic growth, and quality of life,” the report says.

It also said the EPA believes Montana needs about $347 million in wastewater improvements and another $22 million to upgrade the state’s stormwater infrastructure.

Schools and stormwater infrastructure got the worst grades of the 14 categories the report looked at, with a “D” for each. The report says 68% of Montana’s 826 K-12 schools were built before 1970 and that the state’s school maintenance fund had seen falling revenue in the past 14 years.

That has created a backlog for repairs and more modern and energy-efficient upgrades, and compounded with increasing energy costs and declining student enrollment, budgets are tight, according to the report, and schools also need to provide a quality learning environment for their children and may choose that route over funding infrastructure upgrades.

“Addressing these issues requires sustained investment and innovative solutions to modernize facilities and support the long-term success of Montana’s education system,” the report says.

The EPA in October announced a 10-year, $25 million investment in Montana to replace the state’s lead water pipes, including at schools, though the number of them across the state is currently unknown, a state official said at the time.

Stormwater infrastructure received a “D” in part because Montana is so rural and many of those smaller municipalities cannot fund upgrades. The effects of agricultural runoff, which the report says “remains largely unregulated,” poses the largest threat to contamination of stormwater systems and costs to mitigate that contamination could mean even more money is required than estimated by the EPA, according to the report.

Bridges remain a concern, according to the report’s authors, despite $45 million in federal dollars under the Biden administration going toward Montana’s bridges. The 5,200 bridges in Montana are on average at least 50 years old, and about 15% need immediate repairs. Further, the number of load-posted or closed bridges is growing 10% to 20% each year, the report says.

One of the governor’s proposals for the upcoming budget is to put $10 million a year over five years toward fixing 500 bridges across the state.

The category that got the best grade, a “C+,” was Montana’s rail system. Since about 70% of Montana’s rail track is owned by freight operators, the report says its rail lines play a crucial part of the state and national economy.

But it also says that aging infrastructure, a lack of needed safety guidelines, and vulnerability to climatological events like floods, fires and landslides create “significant” challenges moving forward.

“Federal funding and innovative technologies offer opportunities for modernization, but targeted investment and coordinated planning are essential to meet current and future demands,” the report says.

The report calls Montana’s mix of energy infrastructure “diverse” and says it is fourth in the U.S. for per capita energy consumption, due in part to the cold winters, long drive times, and energy production industries. It also exports about 40% of the power generated here.

But the report says Montana will face increasing energy demands as its population grows and that it needs to modernize its energy grid to include more renewable energy. It recommends Montana seek more federal and private funding to do so.

For the first time, the report looked into Montana’s broadband, which received $275 million in federal dollars from the Legislature in 2021, and which Gov. Greg Gianforte and the state broadband office have been working to make accessible across the state by 2030.

It says Montana still lags behind the rest of the country in terms of the share of its citizens who have access to internet speeds of 100 megabits per second, with about 71% of Montanans having those internet speeds at minimum compared to a national average of 93%.

The report, which was put together by more than 20 infrastructure and engineering professionals, recommends that lawmakers, the executive branch, private interests, and citizens work toward increasing funding some of the infrastructure needs to build what it calls a resilient and sustainable future.

“Addressing these critical infrastructure needs will enhance public safety, boost economic resilience, and improve the quality of life across Big Sky Country,” the report says.

Blair Miller is a Helena-based reporter for the Daily Montanan, a nonprofit newsroom.