What condition is our condition in? WV receives an overall infrastructure grade of D+

By RealWV Staff

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) West Virginia has released its 2025 report card, giving the state an overall grade of D+ (poor) across 18 categories of infrastructure – aviation, bridges, broadband, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, inland waterways, levees, parks, ports, rail, roads, schools, solid waste, stormwater, transit, and wastewater.

According to the report card’s executive summary, the D+ rating falls below the national average of C and reflects “widespread concerns with condition and capacity that heighten the risk of system failures,” with one of the greatest threats to the state’s infrastructure being identified as more frequent and severe flooding.

In addition to grading the state’s infrastructure, ASCE West Virginia has identified possible reasons behind the less than stellar grades, and noted ideas for improvement.

The grades for the state’s infrastructure and other information is as follows:

Aviation receives a C-

The state has seven commercial airports, West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston, Huntington Tri-State Airport, Morgantown Municipal Airport, Greenbrier Valley Airport, Raleigh County Memorial Airport, North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport, and Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport in Parkersburg, as well as seventeen NPIAS general aviation airports and 10 private non-NPIAS airports.
In 2024, West Virginia’s seven commercial airports completed approximately 250,000 flight operations and 350,000 passenger enplanements.
Civil aviation-related goods and services contribute approximately $1.63 billion in business revenues annually, including freight and passenger flights.
The seven commercial airport terminals across West Virginia are aging, with most over 50 years old. However, most are in the process of upgrading or building new facilities.
West Virginia airports are funded through a mix of federal, state, local, and private sources, with most funding being provided by the FAA.
The Airports Council International reports that West Virginia airports will require $132 million in infrastructure upgrades from 2025 to 2029.

For additional information concerning local airports, check out the following articles by RealWV:

Yeager Airport and WV Music Hall of Fame bring happiness to the runway

‘Highway to the Danger Zone’ – the true tail of Hercules and Ned

Bridges receive a D+

The state has 7,348 bridges. Approximately 19% of those are in poor condition and require urgent investment for repair or replacement.
The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) maintains over 95% of the state’s bridges, and bridge repair has been made a priority in recent years.
There are approximately 25.2 million bridge crossings daily, with approximately 3 million being on poor bridges.
While a gas tax of about $0.36 per gallon (the 16th highest in the nation) helps support bridge and highway maintenance, and toll revenues from the West Virginia Turnpike fund repairs for its 116 bridges, the state still faces significant funding challenges – despite an increase in federal infrastructure grants.

For additional information on bridges, check out RealWV’s reporting:

Earl M. Vickers Memorial Bridge rehab is finally complete

Broadband receives a D+

Broadband access (high-speed internet connection with at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and 20 Mbps upload speed) is currently low or unreliable throughout West Virginia, though plans are already underway to bridge that divide, including the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding and BEAD funds as well as the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan.
The high cost of building broadband networks and a comparatively low number of customers to pick up along a route have been significant factors in creating what’s now becoming a digital divide for the state.
The average monthly bill in West Virginia is $79.99 – about $5 above the national average.
The bulk of utility poles are owned by electric companies, creating regulatory problems when ISPs wish to access these poles for broadband expansion. And, most of the poles need to be replaced, due to age, which creates an additional financial problem for ISPs, who are often responsible for the pole’s replacement.

For additional reporting on broadband, check out the following:

West Virginia’s BEAD proposal has been approved, 73,000 to acquire access to high-speed internet

Dams receive a D+

The state has 532 dams. 461 are classified as high hazard, which means the likelihood of human loss if the dam fails. Most of the dams are privately owned or owned by local governments. Dams with reported conditions show that 49 are in poor condition.
The total estimated cost to rehabilitate all dams is $1.08 billion.
Of the 45 state-owned dams, 33 are identified as needing repair or rehabilitation, with an estimated cost of approximately $30-45 million.

Drinking water receives a D+

The state currently has 469 community water systems and non-transient, non-community water systems, serving over 1.5 million residents.
In 2023, West Virginia’s water systems were assessed and found to be 83% viable, 14% marginal, and 3% failing.
Despite nearly $1 billion in federal investments, a funding gap of $897 million remains.
Much of West Virginia’s drinking water infrastructure has exceeded or is nearing the end of its design life.
A significant amount of treated water is lost during distribution due to leaks throughout the system, with some systems in the state reporting water losses exceeding 50%.
More than 160 of the smallest, and often failing, water systems have been absorbed into larger, more capable utilities since 2002 through acquisition, consolidation, or managed mergers.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, there have been nearly 3,200 boil water advisories from January 1, 2025, to November 1, 2025, which increases the public’s concern about safe drinking water.
There are an estimated 63,890 unserved households, and the total cost to expand water services in these areas is approximately $2.1 billion.

Energy receives a D+

West Virginia ranks fifth in the nation for energy production (15 gigawatts), generating nearly twice as much energy as it consumes. Coal supplies 90% of the electricity.
West Virginia is now the fifth-largest natural-gas-producing state in the nation, with annual production exceeding three trillion cubic feet.
Two major investor-owned utilities—American Electric Power and FirstEnergy—serve most of the state and collectively operate more than twenty-five thousand miles of distribution lines and roughly six thousand miles of high-voltage transmission.
Despite more than one billion dollars invested in reliability improvements since 2012, outage-frequency and duration indices remain above national averages, particularly in rural areas where feeders are long, and redundancy is limited.
Coal-fired units are increasing in age and need substantial reinvestment or strategic retirement planning.
Electric-utility funding relies on the rate of recovery through the Public Service Commission. Between 2019 and 2024, residential electricity rates increased by roughly 30%. Although rates remain below national averages, affordability concerns are significant in regions with lower incomes or higher energy burdens.
Nationally, growing demand from data centers has emerged as a significant driver of increased electricity consumption, placing additional pressure on aging transmission and distribution systems and accelerating the need for grid modernization.
Flooding, landslides, derechos, and heavy snow have repeatedly damaged transmission and distribution lines, contributed to extended outages, and stressed emergency-response capabilities. Some substations located within floodplains have been elevated or flood-proofed, but many remain vulnerable.

For more information on energy, read the following articles by RealWV:

Lane says WV PSC is ‘committed’ to keeping coal-fired plants running

Major energy and manufacturing announcements made at West Virginia Governor’s Energy Summit

FirstEnergy ready to make more power

PJM discusses the future of coal, renewable energy production with lawmakers

Hazardous waste sites receive a D

As of 2023, West Virginia tracked 179 hazardous waste sites and ranked 21st among U.S. states and territories for hazardous waste released per square mile.
West Virginia lists 114 Large Quantity Generator sites under the RCRA program; this allows the EPA to control Hazardous Waste sites from cradle-to-grave. There are 8,840 registered and federally regulated underground petroleum storage tanks, both active and closed. Meanwhile, there are 42,240 active aboveground storage tanks in the state.
West Virginia is home to 14 Superfund sites. All Superfund sites in West Virginia are within a 100-year flood plain. West Virginia has 11 Superfund sites on the NPL, while the other three have received a certificate of completion.
Superfund sites include: Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Mineral County; Big John Salvage in Marion County; Fike Chemical Inc. in Kanawha and Putnam counties; Follansbee Site in Brooke County, Hanlin-Allied-Olin in Marshall County; Leetown Pesticide in Jefferson County; North 25th Street Glass and Zinc in Harrison County; Ordnance Works Disposal Areas in Monongalia County, Paden City Groundwater in Wetzel County; Ravenswood PCE Groundwater Plume in Jackson County; and Sharon Steel Corp (Fairmont Coke Works) in Marion County.
The state does not have a definitive count or comprehensive tracking system to identify all brownfield sites or their locations.

For more information on a Superfund site in Fayette County, check out the following article:

Morrisey announces $2 million for cleanup in Minden, a superfund site in Fayette County

Minden documentary ‘Impossible Town’ makes streaming debut this week

Inland waterways receive a D

West Virginia has six of forty-six named rivers making up 425 miles of inland, navigable waterways: the Ohio River, Monongahela River, Kanawha River (including two miles of the Elk River), Little Kanawha River, and Big Sandy River tributaries.
West Virginia has three Marine Highway Routes: M-70, M-79, and M-23.
West Virginia has thirteen locks and dams operated by the USACE. Most of the locks and dams are nearing or have exceeded their average 50-year life expectancy.
In 2021, 45.7 million tons of freight traveled on West Virginia’s inland waterways, valued at $3.4 billion.
Despite the efficiencies provided by inland waterways transportation, West Virginia’s waterways have seen a decrease in the moving tonnage. Over the next 30 years, however, the state expects to see a significant decrease in tonnage due to the decline of coal-freight and population loss. There is an expected increase in the value of tonnage as costs rise for commodities like pharmaceuticals and electronics.

Levees receive a D+

West Virginia’s 21 levee systems, spanning 37.8 miles, reduce the impact of flooding to over 34,000 people, $7.2 billion in property value and 200 miles of roads.
The average age of West Virginia’s levee systems is 53 years old, 8 years younger than the national average. Three of West Virginia’s levee systems are over 80 years old and face challenges associated with their age.
Maintenance responsibilities in West Virginia fall to the county, city, or town where each levee system is located. This may result in less funding due to the state’s limited financial resources.
It is recommended that the state ensure that a fixed percentage of the Flood Resiliency Trust Fund is allocated exclusively to levee system maintenance, upgrades, and emergency repairs.

Ports receive a D+

The ports and waterways-dependent industries supported nearly 127,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2021.
Despite the economic importance of these ports and other waterway terminals, defunding and inactivity of the West Virginia Public Port Authority has left a gap in statewide leadership and strategic planning.
West Virginia currently has two Statistical Ports: The Port of Huntington–Tri-State and the Mid-Ohio Valley Port Statistical District.
West Virginia ports currently do not have an asset management plan.

Public Parks receive a C-

West Virginia welcomes more than 7 million visitors annually to their state parks and nearly 2 million to its national parks, with more than 1.6 million acres of land.
In FY 2023, visitors to state parks and forests spent $483 million. It is estimated that the state needs $76.5 to $100.7 million to complete outstanding maintenance and capital improvement projects.
The West Virginia State Parks System contributes to the economy of the state. Total economic impact ranges between $400 million and $450 million, for every $1 of general tax revenue provided to state parks, $18.54 on average was generated that otherwise would not be present without the operation of state parks and forests.
The primary weakness of the park system is deferred maintenance and a backlog of capital improvement projects, which has resulted in aging and non-viable buildings, safety concerns, and the deterioration of infrastructure.

Railways receive a C-

This infrastructure consists of 2,401 miles of rail that facilitated the movement of 52.7 million tons of freight in 2019, valued at $5.7 billion. This is projected to decline to 29.2 million tons by 2050 but increase in value overall.
Passenger rail service in West Virginia serves over 143,000 people annually, but service revenue has not been sufficient to meet their operating costs. In the pre-pandemic FY 2019, the Cardinal generated $8.4 million with an operating cost of $20.3 million. Capitol Limited generated $20.3 million in revenues while operating at a cost of $44.6 million.
The 2,383 route miles of rail tracks across West Virginia are comprised of two Class I railroads and nine short lines or regional lines. CSXT is the state’s largest carrier.
There is an anticipated need of $9.3 million for safety upgrades, with 35 of the 38 projects designated as “Immediate,” or requiring completion within the next 5 years.

Roads receive a C-

West Virginia maintains approximately 38,879 miles of public roads, 91% of which are rural, with most facilities built between the 1960s and 1980s and now operating beyond their intended service life.
Unaddressed repairs on roadways cost $1,280 annually per motorist, totaling $1.6 billion statewide. These roadway-related costs represent about 2.3% of the average household income, a high burden in a state with one of the lowest income levels nationally.
The pavement conditions show that most Interstate and non-Interstate mileage is in Good or Fair condition, comparing favorably to national figures, where a significantly higher share of urban roadways is rated Poor.
West Virginia’s road infrastructure is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local sources.
State-generated revenue is primarily supported through the State Road Fund, which draws from West Virginia’s 35.7-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 38.4-cent diesel tax, one of the highest combined rates in the nation.
The state also benefits from toll revenue generated by the 88-mile West Virginia Turnpike along Interstate 77, which produces approximately $90 million annually to support operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Statewide bond programs funded through the State Road Fund have delivered more than 1,300 roadway and bridge projects in recent years.
The state confronts a substantial funding gap, with a projected $600 million shortfall by 2030 and more than $4 billion by 2050 for roadway construction, preservation, and modernization.
Winter operations require a statewide fleet of roughly 1,100 snowplows and salt trucks, and 4,800 maintenance workers, who apply more than 193,000 tons of salt and 2.2 million gallons of brine during a typical winter season. However, persistent workforce shortages (for example, more than 400 vacant maintenance positions in 2023) and rising material costs continue to challenge WVDOH’s ability to meet statewide maintenance expectations.
West Virginia continues to experience one of the highest roadway fatality rates in the nation. In 2022, the state recorded 264 traffic deaths and a fatality rate of 16.6 per 100,000 residents, compared to a national average of 12.9 per 100,000.
Impaired driving also remains a major contributor to severe crashes. In 2022, 60 fatalities involved alcohol-impaired drivers.

Schools receive a D-

School infrastructure in West Virginia is underfunded and not improving, as nearly 85% of school infrastructure and outdoor facilities in West Virginia fall below modern building standards, and about 543 school facilities out of 637 are rated as poor or fair.
The average funding that is received by the School Building Authority of West Virginia (SBA) is about $50 million per year, but the estimated statewide funding gap is about $300 million per year.
To fight the continuing trend of declining enrollment, as well as aging buildings to poor conditions, West Virginia public school systems are turning to consolidations and closures.
The estimated cost to operate and maintain schools from 2020 to 2030 is just over $3.2 billion. However, with increased construction costs, the need is predicted to be $4.5 billion.
Flooding is the most impactful hazard in West Virginia, with each county on average experiencing 31 major floods in the past 15 years. Even though flooding proves immensely consequential, there is no resilience plan in place to prevent or protect schools from this type of event.

For additional information, read the following RealWV articles:

Greenbrier public schools invest $14M in renewable energy

Solid waste receives a C+

West Virginia’s solid waste system includes 16 landfills, 19 transfer stations, and county/regional Solid Waste Authorities organized across eight wastesheds.
In 2023, the state’s 16 landfills (8 Class A, 8 Class B) managed over 2 million tons of MSW, up from previous years. Approximately 10% of waste was from out-of-state, yielding an in-state total of around 1.84 million tons, or 5.7 pounds per person per day. This exceeds the 2018 national average of 4.9 pounds.
West Virginia’s solid waste system is well-regulated and financially stable, but operational challenges, maintenance gaps, and future needs all require attention.

Stormwater receives a D-

West Virginia’s outdated stormwater infrastructure continuously handles increasing amounts of precipitation. A substantial amount of the infrastructure is approximately 80 years old, and the state is experiencing a decreasing vegetation problem; these issues are putting excessive strain on already neglected systems.
As of 2025, there are millions of dollars of stormwater projects that require funding; prioritization at the state level is therefore key to bridging the funding gap.
Although stormwater systems are in need of help, they are one of the last systems to receive funding.

Transit receives a D

West Virginia offers bus, rail, and demand-response modes of transportation. The state has eight urban and ten rural transit providers, most of which operate as privately owned authorities.
As of 2025, about 38 counties have bus service with many routes only operating a few days per week.
One of the persistent challenges for transit agencies is identifying and meeting the highly specific mobility needs of all residents, particularly seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those requiring transport to healthcare.
According to 2022 data from AASHTO, West Virginia’s state funding for transit was $2.26 million, or just $1.28 per capita, ranking 37th out of 50 states. This low level of state contribution, which the WVDOT notes is approximately $3 million annually from General Revenue funds, creates a critical problem- the inability to provide the required non-federal match for federal grants.

Wastewater receives a D

West Virginia has 336 regulated sewer utilities that are aging or operating beyond capacity, contributing to inflow and infiltration issues, overflows, and mounting maintenance costs.
Approximately 500,000 customers, over half the population, lack access to public sewer systems.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) correction needs have risen from $1.7 billion in 2022 to $1.9 billion in 2023.
West Virginia was ranked first in the continuous 48 states for clean water infrastructure needs at $6,182 per capita, or $11 billion total needs requirement.
Higher rates can prove to be a disincentive for seeking to extend service to utility officials. Current customers are often unwilling to increase their existing rates for extensions to new services.
Fecal contamination remains one of the most widespread water-quality problems in West Virginia, and the data make clear that wastewater infrastructure plays a major role. Statewide monitoring shows that only about one in five assessed stream miles meet the state standard for fecal coliform bacteria, with higher levels often linked to leaking or overflowing sewer lines, failing septic systems, straight-pipe discharges, and runoff from homes and farms.

The complete ASCE West Virginia 2025 report card may be viewed here: https://infrastructurereportcard.org/state-item/west-virginia/