Despite multi-billion dollar investments at the federal, state and local levels in recent years, South Carolina’s infrastructure improved only marginally over the past five years, according to a new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Released Sept. 22, the report showed S.C.’s overall infrastructure grade rose from a D-plus in 2021 to a C-minus in 2026.

“South Carolina has responded to changing infrastructure needs and recent investment is helping improve systems that have seen decades of underinvestment,” said report co-chair Renee Gardner in a statement. “While there are signs of progress, the progress is fragile as funding programs expire and infrastructure operators face workforce shortages.”

Grades in specific categories were mixed. Roads, for instance rose from a D to a D-plus, even as bridges fell from a C to a C-minus. And the state’s ports climbed from a B to a B-plus, while drinking water systems dropped from a D-plus to a D.

And while the report lauded the S.C. Department of Transportation reform bill passed earlier this year, it warned that continued population growth will only increase the need for further investments.

Calling the modest progress since 2021 “a floor, not a ceiling,” the report concluded:  “Closing the gap requires sustained investment, dedicated funding, and long-term commitment. The choices made now will determine whether this momentum continues — or the hard-won progress of the past five years begins to slip away.”

In other recent news

2026: U.S. Senate race in S.C. shifts slightly toward Andrews. The Cook Political Report shifted the race for U.S. Senate in South Carolina from solidly Republican to likely Republican but says U.S. Sen. Darline Graham is still heavily favored to win against her Democratic challenger, Annie Andrews.

STATEHOUSE: S.C. lawmakers cut health insurance for part-time magistrates. South Carolina’s judicial system is bracing for the potential exodus of part-time magistrates who run the state’s rural courts after their health insurance benefits were cut in this year’s state budget.

S.C. Election Commission violated open meetings law, ACLU alleges. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state Election Commission in a Richland County court, accusing its members of illegally conducting public business behind closed doors.

How the Winthrop Poll works. A look at how the poll has gathered opinions in S.C. for 20 years.

S.C. gas prices top $4 per gallon. South Carolina drivers are paying more than $4 per gallon for gasoline after prices jumped sharply over the past week, according to new GasBuddy data.

Officials say S.C. needs more housing options for military service members, families. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and state leaders met with commanders from South Carolina’s military installations on Sept. 23, 2026, to discuss the status and needs of each base.

Kershaw Co. hits brakes on data centers. The county on Tuesday enacted a one-year pause on data center development.

Reference to KKK removed from S.C. State exhibit. A 1950s-era KKK pamphlet was removed from the S.C. State Museum exhibition commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary after what museum officials said was an effort to paint a more accurate portrait of the state during the civil rights era.

S.C. has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the U.S. South Carolina has one of the highest rates of traffic deaths in the U.S., according to 4Pointsback.com, an S.C. company that continuously updates traffic safety data in the state.

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