The ASCE South Carolina Section announced the release of the 2026 Report Card for South Carolina’s Infrastructure, assigning 8 categories of infrastructure across the Palmetto State a cumulative grade of ‘C-’. That is a one-step improvement over the 2021 South Carolina report card, and just below the national infrastructure grade on ASCE’s 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. A ‘C-’ grade means the state’s infrastructure is inadequate for meeting the current and future needs of a growing state.

The 2026 grades are:

A historic infusion of federal infrastructure resources, along with state funding programs, has benefited people and businesses in South Carolina and led to improved grades; however, increasingly severe weather variance, growing population and industry development, and past years of deferring maintenance mean infrastructure must become a bigger priority to sustain South Carolina’s productivity and quality of life.

The 2026 Report Card for South Carolina’s Infrastructure provides insight needed to start conversations and ignite action to improve the 2026 grades and, as a result, the state’s future by:

• Sustaining and growing state infrastructure investment;
• Prioritizing drinking water and wastewater as public health imperatives;
• Strengthening dam inspection programs and adopting comprehensive roadway safety strategies to reduce risks and improve public safety statewide;
• Enacting a comprehensive dam safety funding program; 
• Addressing bridge deterioration before it accelerates;
• Expanding public transit to serve a growing state;
• Building the infrastructure workforce of the future; and
• Planning for resilience — not just recovery.
   

We need your help to keep infrastructure investment at the top of elected officials’ priorities. Let’s ensure the 2026 Report Card for South Carolina’s Infrastructure drives action for you and your community by contacting your state and federal elected officials today!