2024 report card shows Oregon infrastructure 'requires attention'
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2024 Report Card for Oregon's Infrastructure on Tuesday, showing room for improvement across several categories.
The report card includes grades in 12 categories from drinking water and dams to bridges and schools.
While Oregon has made several infrastructure investments since its last report card in 2019, the state received the same grade.
Overall, Oregon received a C-, indicating the state’s infrastructure is in fair condition but "requires attention," according to ASCE. The organization noted this score is also in line with the nation's 2021 report card.
Seven of the 12 grades on Oregon’s report were higher than the National Report Card, according to ASCE.
| Grade | Infrastructure Categories |
| C | Drinking Water, Inland Waterways, Roads |
| C- | Aviation, Bridges, Energy, Ports |
| D+ | Dams, Stormwater, Transit, Wastewater |
| I | Schools |
According to the 2024 report, Oregon's energy and wastewater grades were the same as the national report, while bridges and ports were below the national grades.
Grades for Oregon roads and bridges – which were graded C and C- respectively – received a one-step grade decrease since the state’s last report card in 2019. Additionally, the percentage of state highways in poor condition increased from 10% to 12% since the 2019 report.
In that same time, the number of roads in good condition also decreased from 65% to 58%, according to ASCE.
When it comes to drinking water, Oregon's grade increased from a C- to a C. While more than 99% of Oregon’s drinking water systems meet safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 400,000 Oregonians use private water sources, such as wells, which are largely unregulated, ASCE said.
The report card also stressed the need for seismic upgrades.
According to ASCE, almost all infrastructure systems in Oregon need improvements to handle the effects of climate change and earthquakes.
ASCE said Oregon’s dams received a D+ grade because almost two-thirds of the state’s dams are more than 50-years-old and were not built to endure a strong earthquake or strong, frequent flooding.
Additionally, Oregon’s energy infrastructure received a C- grade for similar resiliency needs and found that much of the state’s energy distribution network will suffer extensive damage from a large quake – leading to extended outages and a longer recovery.
While there is room for improvement, the report also highlights areas of progress, including Oregon reducing the number of bridges in poor condition from 5.2% to 4.8%, ASCE said, noting there is still a growing number of bridges that have been downgraded from good to fair condition.
“Even though Oregon’s grade remained the same since the last Report Card, there have been positive steps forward to improve the resiliency of Oregon’s infrastructure and ensure those systems are capable of handling potential earthquakes, the consequences of climate change, and other hazards,” said Ana Tijerina Esquino, Chair of the 2024 Report Card for Oregon’s Infrastructure.
“While Oregon’s infrastructure is seeing benefits from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other short-term funding programs, leaders at all levels need to ensure those systems have reliable, consistent, and sustainable funding to ensure they remain safe and reliable in the future,” Esquino added.
ASCME noted even though the 2017 Keep Oregon Moving law has funded over 140 transportation projects in the last few years, Oregon expects 2024 to be the final year the state will see in increase in gas tax revenues to help fund road and bridge construction.
Additionally, the Oregon Department of Transportation is forecasting a $720 million budget deficit by 2027 if the agency doesn’t receive long-term funding solutions.
The report card included five suggestions to increase Oregon’s grades.
The first recommendation is to secure dedicated funding for long-term maintenance of Oregon’s infrastructure rather than short-term influxes of funding.
Next, ASCE recommends implementing comprehensive resiliency measures against natural and man-made disasters, improving regulatory framework to ensure resiliency of critical infrastructure, optimizing spending, and addressing the skilled workforce shortage to support long-term infrastructure improvements.