(The Center Square) – Virginia earned an overall C for its infrastructure in a new report, with energy, schools and wastewater among the lowest-rated areas despite billions of dollars in recent state and federal investment.
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2026 infrastructure report card gave Virginia B+ grades for bridges and broadband, the highest marks in the report. Solid waste received a B.
Roads, public parks and stormwater received C grades. Dams and transit received C- grades, while schools and wastewater came in at D+. Energy received a D, the lowest grade in the report.
The mixed results come after years of state and federal spending on infrastructure.
About $12.6 billion from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act had gone toward projects in Virginia as of January 2025, according to the report. State road and bridge funding also grew from $294 million in fiscal 2022 to $500 million in fiscal 2025.
That money has helped in some areas, but the report points to aging systems and long-term costs that remain a problem across the Commonwealth.
Schools are one example.
More than half of Virginia’s school buildings are over 50 years old, and many are still using HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems that have gone beyond their expected lifespan.
The report estimates Virginia faces a $1.11 billion annual shortfall for school maintenance and operations, along with a $2.62 billion gap in capital investment. Local governments provide most of the money for school construction, which can leave communities in very different positions when it comes to replacing or updating aging buildings.
Virginia lawmakers have also continued putting money toward school construction. The new state budget provides hundreds of millions of dollars for construction assistance, while legislation passed this year requires utilities and state officials to examine how Virginia can make better use of its existing electric grid.
Virginia’s dams face an even larger funding gap.
The report looked at about 2,700 dams using federal inventory data and found roughly 68% do not have a condition rating. Fewer than half of high-hazard dams had been inspected since 2022.
Virginia has a $5 million dam safety grant program for 2026. The report estimates rehabilitation needs statewide at $5.42 billion.
Bridges, meanwhile, are one of Virginia’s stronger areas. Still, nearly 58% are more than 50 years old, and 1,443 bridges and culverts have load restrictions. Most of those are on secondary routes.
The engineers recommend continued investment, stronger storm preparation and more attention to aging water systems and dams, along with new technology aimed at making limited infrastructure dollars go further.
This post was originally published on The Center Square.
