Nevada’s infrastructure gets a C+ grade: What needs improvement?

Nevada received one of the highest grades in the country for its infrastructure, but the state has plenty of room for improvement, despite the passing grade.

The state received a C-plus for its infrastructure in the American Society of Civil Engineers 2025 report card, which is the highest grade Nevada has ever received. The Silver State is one of only four states to be awarded a C+ grade, along with Georgia, Utah and Wisconsin. The ASCE releases the report sporadically. The last time was in 2018, when Nevada got a C grade.

“Nevada’s improvement to a C+ — among the highest grades in the country — reflects the Nevada Department of Transportation’s unwavering commitment to infrastructure, even as the department faces growing needs and growing costs,” NDOT spokeswoman Kelsey McFarland said in a statement. “Construction costs have increased 68 percent in recent years due to inflation. NDOT has made important strides through smart investments, collaboration with local and federal partners, and strategic use of limited resources. The grade also reinforces the need for further investment in infrastructure to enhance safety and connectivity.”

The national average for overall infrastructure grades came in at a C.

Funding future projects will be a larger task than in the past, as funding is no longer sustainable and reliable due to rising costs and federal dollars the state receives for road projects not increasing in decades.

“We’re building a 2025 transportation system on a 1993 budget,” McFarland said. “The federal fuel tax hasn’t increased since 1993, while costs have more than doubled. At the state level, we continue to evaluate innovative funding solutions to preserve existing infrastructure and meet the demands of a rapidly growing state.”

Each state is graded on eight categories to come up with their overall grade. The categories are aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, public parks, roads and wastewater. Each category was evaluated on the basis of capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation.

Nevada received a B-minus in bridges and wastewater, a C-plus in aviation, energy and public parks, a C in roads and a C-minus in dams and drinking water.

Here’s a breakdown of the transportation-related categories.

Bridges

Nevada has consistently ranked as having the safest bridges in the United States, with this year being no different as it garnered a B-minus grade.

The American Society of Civil Engineers report notes just 1.5 percent of the 2,128 bridges in the state are rated in poor condition, which ranks above the 6.5 percent seen nationally.

Despite the high grade, 26 percent of Nevada’s bridges are over 50 years old, so maintaining the bridges and having funding in place in the future is a key factor.

There is a $133 million backlog in bridge preservation work in Nevada that would address maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges.

The ASCE report recommends the state directing additional funding for bridge maintenance and replacement, since more bridges will hit the 50-year or older mark in the next 10-20 years.

“Proactive maintenance and rehabilitation are far more cost-effective than waiting for problems to emerge,” McFarland said. “Sustainable funding allows us to stay ahead of that curve and preserve our national leadership on bridge safety. Ninety-nine percent of Nevada bridges are in fair condition or better.”

Roads

Roads in Nevada received a C grade, the same grade that roads received in the 2018 ASCE report. Nevada has more than 48,000 miles of roadway.

Over 50 percent of roads in the state are rated as being in good or very good shape, which is above the national average.

Road projects in the state aren’t scarce, especially in Southern Nevada, but addressing a pending $6 billion funding gap for the next decade is needed to ensure roads will be key.

“The C grade reflects both the meaningful progress that’s been made and the growing demands we continue to face,” McFarland said. “Nevada’s rapid population and economic growth can place sustained pressure on our transportation system. NDOT has made substantial investments in adding capacity, modernizing infrastructure and preserving existing assets, but as the state continues to grow, so does the need for continued, strategic investment to keep pace.”

Dams

The 673 state-regulated dams in Nevada received a C-minus grade, which is an improvement from the D-plus they were given in the 2018 report.

Of the hundreds of dams in the state, 66 percent of them were given a satisfactory or fair condition assessment, with 30 percent of the dams rated as being in poor or unsatisfactory condition.

There are 166 dams that are considered high-hazard dams in the state.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.