There’s been a lot of talk about improving Montana’s infrastructure recently, and that’s good because we can’t wait anymore to address our state’s backlog of needed improvements for roads, bridges, drinking water pipes and other infrastructure systems. In November, the American Society of Civil Engineers Montana Section released the 2014 Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure. Overall, Montana received a “C-” grade because our state’s aging infrastructure is in need of major attention and investment. The good news for Montana is that our lawmakers are offering ways to help raise the grades. Among those most frequently sharing a vision for better infrastructure for Montana is Gov. Steve Bullock, who again talked about his ideas in last month's State of the State address.
The governor’s proposal lays out a much-needed foundation to improve the state’s infrastructure. His “Build Montana” legislation would fund $380 million in total investments for infrastructure and capital improvements by compiling existing programs together. The funds would ensure stable and ongoing infrastructure improvements through long-range building programs and the creation of an endowment program to fund projects and programs.
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Just like your home needs continual maintenance, so to do our roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure. Otherwise, the backlog of work becomes a much more daunting task. Currently, Montana is looking at that very challenge: a backlog of projects and needed upgrades. “Build Montana” would continue funding to address some of them. These investments would include upgrades to water systems in eight communities and school facility grants, among other projects. These areas need continued attention and investment as they were among the lowest grades given in the Infrastructure Report Card.
However, the funding proposed by “Build Montana” is only a fraction of our state’s total needs. It continues that status quo maintaining similar investment levels as the past few years. For us to truly modernize our roads, bridges, schools, drinking water and other infrastructure we need to push beyond our current investment levels and find innovative solutions.
The Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure assessed our state’s infrastructure and offered ways to improve it. Among the suggestions that could make a real impact in enhancing the quality of life for Montanans are finding ways to do more to keep our infrastructure in a state of good condition and modernized. Among our recommendations is to implement life cycle cost analysis, a system that considers how much a project will cost and its worth over its total lifespan, to make the most cost effective decision for the long-term. Another is to raise more revenue for roads and bridges by indexing the fuel tax to inflation, ensuring that it keeps its purchasing power over time. For dams, we recommend creating a funding mechanism for private dams that provide public benefits. These and other innovative ideas would allow Montana to be a leader in designing infrastructure fit for the future. To truly modernize Montana’s infrastructure, our lawmakers must find ways to encourage the use of new technologies.
Currently, we are already paying for our poor infrastructure in other ways. According to new data released recently by TRIP, the Transportation Research Information Project, the poor condition of roads and bridges are costing every urban Montana motorist $484 a year, and every rural motorist $292 in additional vehicle operation costs and repairs.
There’s no better time than the present to take Montana’s infrastructure into the 21st century. As our state’s population grows, our infrastructure network needs to improve along with it.
This opinion is signed by William W. Wiegand, Jr., and Melissa Matassa-Stone on behalf of the Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Wiegand is president of ASCE-MT and a co-author of the 2014 Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure, and Matassa-Stone is chair of the Report Card for Montana’s Infrastructure committee. Wiegand is a hydraulic engineer with Morrison-Maierle, Inc. Matassa-Stone is a project engineer and partner at WGM Group, Inc. To learn more about the Montana Infrastructure Report Card, visit www.infrastructurereportcard.org/montana.