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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Engineers give Utah infrastructure a high grade, but say levees and canals need improvement
A canal flows through south-central Utah. (Getty Images) Utah has some of the best infrastructure in the country when compared to other states, although its canals and levees are in need of repair. That's according to the American Society of Civil Engineers' report card, released Thursday, which gives the Beehive State an overall C+ grade. That's tied with Georgia and Wisconsin for the highest score of all U.S. states and territories. 'A C+ means our infrastructure is meeting the needs of Utahns, but there's still room for improvement,' said Craig Friant, a civil engineer who worked on the report. 'This is a sign that we're doing things well here in Utah.' While the state has one of the highest grades, the rest of the country is not far behind. The national grade is C, and most states and territories received a C or C- grade — South Carolina and Louisiana each received a D+, West Virginia received a D and Puerto Rico received a D-, the lowest grade. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE, an A grade is defined as exceptional and fit for the future; B is good and adequate for now; C is mediocre, requiring attention; D is poor and at risk; and F is failing, requiring critical attention and unfit for purpose. The report lists 12 separate areas of infrastructure for each state. Consider Utah's report: Aviation: C+ Bridges: B Canals: D+ Dams: C+ Drinking water: B- Hazardous waste: C+ Levees: D- Roads: B+ Solid waste: B- Stormwater: C Transportation: B- Wastewater: C The majority of the state's levees and canals are old, according to the report — most levees are more than 60 years old, and many of the state's canals were built in the 19th century for irrigation purposes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The report also noted that data isn't readily available for levees and canals, which poses another risk. 'These are systems that protect households and businesses from flooding, yet we don't know their condition in many cases, which is a major public safety hazard,' said Friant, who pointed to outdated levees in Salt Lake County that protect residential areas from flooding during runoff or storms. These levees don't currently meet the Army Corps of Engineers standards, putting them at risk of being delisted — if that happens, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, could eventually reclassify the land surrounding the Salt Lake City International and Provo City airports as flood plains, according to the report. That could 'drastically' alter how the land is assessed and insured, engineers say. What can the state do to boost its grade? The report gives several recommendations, including more analysis and better funding when it comes to infrastructure. 'Specifically, detailed written plans are critical for the areas of water resources, canals, transportation, transit, and waste management,' the report reads. 'The state should be providing consistent financial support for project improvements, maintenance, resiliency, and risk reduction through reliable funding streams year after year that facilitate this planning.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Prioritizing funding for bridges is another recommendation. Even though Utah received a B, engineers say many of the state's bridges are nearing the end of their 'service lives.' The state should also increase funding for its Dam Safety Program. Utah currently has hundreds of dams considered 'high hazard,' which means if they fail, it would cause severe damage and loss of life. That includes the Panguitch Lake Dam, which showed signs of seepage last year after cracks appeared near the top, likely the result of ice pushing up against the concrete. The roughly 1,700 residents of Panguitch were put on notice to prepare for evacuation, but crews were able to break the ice away and stabilize the dam. Utah has a big, expensive and potentially dangerous dam problem To avoid a repeat scenario, the report recommends the state dump at least $10 million each year into the Dam Safety Program and try to rehabilitate all dams within 50 years. 'An increase to $20 million per year would allow faster repairs but could still require 25 years for all required repairs,' the report reads. Bolstering 'multi-modal' transportation options — like expanding bus or train networks —is another recommendation as the state deals with rapid population growth. And lastly, Utah should make sure the Great Salt Lake reaches and remains at healthy levels — replacing canals with pipelines will help reduce evaporation, and could ultimately result in more water flowing to the lake, according to the report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Good roads cost less:' Utah infrastructure receives ‘C+' grade from engineers, above national average
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — The Utah section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure on Thursday, with grades released for 12 different categories that were measured. A spokesperson with the shared his thoughts on the report card. Overall, Utah earned a 'C+' grade, one of three states to receive this grade, along with Georgia and Wisconsin. The grade is also the highest the ASCE has given to any state and is just above the national average of 'C' in the , which was released in March. Police ramp up education for 100 Deadliest Days The state's aviation infrastructure was the only category to see a grade increase, while three categories saw decreases: bridges, stormwater and transit. All other categories remained the same from 2020. Here are the grades for each category measured: B+ — Roads B — Bridges B- — Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Transit C+ — Aviation, Dams, Hazardous Waste C — Stormwater, Wastewater D+ — Canals D- — Levees Craig Friant, Chair of the Report Card, said that state leaders have taken steps to ensure the reliability of infrastructure systems as more people move to the state, but he added that will also create problems with water supply. 'A growing population and more frequent droughts also mean our water supply faces ongoing threats,' Friant said in the report. 'While Utahns have drastically reduced their water usage, there are ongoing challenges, and leaders need to be proactive with their solutions.' The report cited that the investment in infrastructure from Utah leaders helped the state earn high grades for roads and bridges. It also cited state lawmakers' approval of $14 billion in funding for transportation in 2023, spread over six years, as another factor in the grade increase for roads. John Gleason, the public relations director with UDOT, shared his thoughts on the grades for roads and bridges, most of which are managed by the department. 'We put a lot of focus into maintaining our roads, keeping them in good shape. We have a saying that 'good roads cost less,' and what that means is if we can do these maintenance projects and keep them in shape… then that staves off the big capacity projects,' Gleason told ABC4. UDOT's bridge management program is very 'robust,' Gleason shared. He said that UDOT has a great understanding of the life cycle of bridges and what maintenance needs to be done to make them last. He said that funding for these projects is what helped roads and bridges receive these higher grades. 'We've had a lot of big capacity projects in the last few decades, you know, it was a different story before the Winter Olympics 2002, but over the years we've had a major commitment by our state leaders,' Gleason stated. 'They understand the importance of a good transportation system and what that means for the economy.' Gleason said that UDOT has been innovating with its construction of bridges. He stressed that this innovation helps them be wise with the taxpayer money that goes into these projects. 'We've been leaders in the way that we build bridges and the way that we maintain bridges for a long time,' he said. 'We don't say 'this is the way it's always been done in the past,' we always look for new innovative ways that are going to save time and money.' Double-tracking the frontrunner is a big project for UDOT, Gleason shared. He said that they have committed not only to moving vehicles, but moving people. UDOT is also working on improvements to walking and biking trails as well as connections to transit. 'It really speaks to the quality of life that we have here in Utah…' Gleason said. 'We want to make sure that we can maintain that and even make things better here in the future.' The full report is . Latest Headlines: Utah's House to elect new leadership. Here's who's running 'Good roads cost less:' Utah infrastructure receives 'C+' grade from engineers, above national average Salt Lake woman dies in crash after allegedly stealing a car, fleeing from police Syracuse police release photo of assault suspect, provide update Intermountain Health breaks ground on new St. George clinic Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
