ASCE Minnesota warns infrastructure grade remains C, urges sustained bonding and asset management ahead of 2026 update

Representatives of the Minnesota section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Jan. 21 that Minnesota’s 2022 infrastructure report card received an overall C and that the state should pursue continued, sustainable funding, broader asset‑management adoption and investments in resilience to raise the grade in the planned 2026 update.

Hannah Albertus Spenham and Meredith Liz Marcotte, both volunteer engineers with ASCE Minnesota, summarized the report‑card methodology, the 2022 state findings and early priorities for the 2026 update. They described the report card as an assessment tool that assigns letter grades across infrastructure categories using eight criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation.

ASCE Minnesota reported its 2022 assessment covered 10 categories (aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, ports, public parks, roads, transit and wastewater) and assigned an aggregate C to the statewide system. Aviation scored highest (B) and roads lowest (D+). The report card reflects conditions and funding decisions through early 2022, ASCE said.

ASCE volunteers credited recent policy steps — for example, MnDOT’s adoption of asset-management tools, the 2019 drinking‑water fee increase that restored recurring funding to the state drinking water program, and 2023 legislation that tied several road‑funding mechanisms to inflation — as important progress. They said the 2023 bonding and cash appropriations were a substantial policy response, but they warned that missed comprehensive capital bills in multiple recent sessions has left a growing backlog of projects and higher repair costs over time.

Meredith Marcotte said asset management remains a key on‑ramp for planning and prioritizing projects and that continued adoption of those tools by state and local operators will improve the quality and timing of investments. Both presenters urged lawmakers to direct funds to small and rural communities that lack tax bases to absorb large capital costs and to prioritize investments that build system resilience against increasingly extreme weather and other climate impacts.

ASCE said the single most effective step to raise future grades is establishing reliable, robust and diversified funding for capital and maintenance. The group recommended pairing federal opportunities with state revenue that supports long‑term operations and maintenance rather than allowing federal money to simply replace state funding. ASCE offered the organization’s volunteer engineers as a technical resource for lawmakers and staff as the committee prepares future capital legislation.