ASCE Alaska report card raises statewide grade to C, flags rural water, energy and marine shortfalls

ASCE Alaska presented its third state infrastructure report card at a lunch-and-learn in Juneau, saying the statewide grade rose from a C‑minus to a C and noting that federal funding has enabled improvements while significant gaps remain, especially in rural water and sanitation, energy and marine services.

David [last name not specified], a presenter for the American Society of Civil Engineers (Alaska section), opened the presentation and summarized the purpose of the state report card. “We also do not advocate for particular projects,” he said, adding that the report synthesizes publicly available data to help inform decisionmakers.

The report attributes some of the statewide gains to federal packages such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CARES Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Presenters noted national IIJA funding totals cited during the event and said Alaska will also receive a share of those funds.

Why it matters: ASCE’s report is intended to compress technical data into an accessible grade and set of recommendations for elected officials, state agencies and the public. The presenters emphasized that one-time capital infusions help, but sustaining improvements will require stronger asset management, maintenance funding and workforce development.

Key findings and recommendations

Bridges: The presenters said Alaska’s bridges have improved, with the share rated in poor condition falling from 7% (four years earlier) to 6.4% in 2024. The report recommends expanding bridge asset-management programs to include non‑National Highway System bridges and ensuring long‑term state funding for transportation maintenance.

Roads: Alaska’s roads grade improved to a C. Presenters reported the share of Interstate/National Highway System lane miles in poor condition dropped from 8.4% to 7.6%. Recommendations include modernizing funding sources (ASCE reiterated a longstanding recommendation to raise the state gas tax, which presenters said is 8¢ per gallon and unchanged since 1970), sustaining state matching dollars for federal grants and investing in projects that reduce life‑cycle costs and improve safety.

Transit: Transit received a C. Presenters said ridership dropped sharply during the COVID‑19 pandemic and has not returned to pre‑pandemic levels; service frequency has been reduced in some systems because of labor shortages, including Anchorage’s People Mover and Fairbanks’s system. Recommendations include hiring drivers, improving transit stop safety, restoring routes and maintaining sidewalks that provide access to stops in winter.

Parks and public lands: ASCE added a parks category this year and gave it a C‑minus. Presenters said some of Alaska’s well‑visited parks have infrastructure to support access and safety, but many remote parks lack basic visitor infrastructure and available data on access and needs is limited. The report calls for better data collection and use of best management practices in design, construction and maintenance.

Drinking water and wastewater: Presenters highlighted a pronounced urban–rural divide. Urban systems generally score well, the report says, but rural communities face serious shortfalls: presenters said about 32 communities have no source of clean water and roughly 30 communities have sanitation systems rated F or D‑minus. Daniel Nichols, an ASCE presenter, said the affected communities generally have populations “less than 400 people” each and estimated the total population affected at “probably about a thousand people or so.” Recommendations include funding for operation and maintenance, risk‑based asset management, and expanded regional technical assistance and operator training.

Solid waste: The state has nine Class I landfills serving the roaded population and more than 80 smaller Class II/III facilities that often lack full protections and consistent operation and maintenance. Presenters said tracking and permitting have improved but that about 10% of smaller sites are not yet compliant; they called for capital planning for landfills near capacity and more support for smaller facilities.

Marine highway and ports: ASCE rated marine highway infrastructure as a concern, citing sharply reduced ridership since a 2012 peak and the operational impact of aging vessels (presenters said three of nine ferries were in port for repairs at one point last year). Presenters said staffing shortages have forced vessels out of service and recommended stabilizing schedules, addressing workforce gaps and securing long‑term funding. Port infrastructure has improved overall, with the Port of Alaska under a reported $2 billion modernization program; presenters described the Port of Alaska as handling roughly 75% of statewide cargo and serving 90% of the population.

Energy: The energy category declined from a C‑minus to a D+ in parts, the presentation said. ASCE speakers described three primary areas: the rail‑belt system (Southcentral to Fairbanks), Southeast hydropower, and islanded rural systems. The Alaska Energy Authority has identified about $939,000,000 in needed projects to improve rail‑belt reliability and transmission capacity, presenters said. Presenters also flagged deteriorating rural tank farms with estimated liabilities of about $900,000,000 and said current funding to address those liabilities is roughly $2,000,000 per year.

Dams and rail: ASCE said most high‑hazard dams now have emergency action plans and that the dams category improved to a C+. Presenters cited several priority projects, including the Lowell Creek diversion project near Seward (which a presenter described as roughly $200,000,000) and projects in Wrangell. Alaska’s two railroads—the Alaska Railroad and the White Pass & Yukon—remain disconnected from each other and the Lower 48; presenters said ongoing track and bridge work continues.

Aviation: Aviation scored C‑minus. Presenters said many remote airfields face ground‑movement, permafrost and maintenance challenges. ASCE estimated Alaska needs about 300 additional weather‑reporting stations to match the density of the Lower 48 and noted that up to 30% of existing stations can be out of service at times. Presenters referenced a recent fatal flight between Unalakleet and Nome and stated that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating; presenters said it would be premature to draw conclusions but that the incident underscored the need for improved weather instrumentation and reporting.

Funding and strategy: Presenters said IIJA funding and other federal packages represent a historic infusion but cautioned that one‑time capital is not a substitute for stable operations and maintenance funding. They urged stronger asset management, interagency coordination, resilience planning and workforce development as priorities to preserve gains.

Questions and outreach: In Q&A, Daniel Nichols estimated that the communities lacking sanitation generally have “less than 400 people” each and that total affected population is on the order of “about a thousand people.” Presenters encouraged local organizations to request presentations; the full report card is available at infrastructurereportcard.org/alaska, they said.

Ending: Presenters said the report card is intended to guide policymakers and the public by identifying investment priorities and operational shortfalls. They emphasized maintenance and workforce capacity as central to turning federal funds into durable improvements.