The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its latest Infrastructure Report Card for 2025, and once again, roads earned a disappointing D-level grade. That’s barely above failing. This is also a sign that despite more funding and some modest improvements, the condition of America’s roadways still poses serious problems for drivers, communities, and the economy.

While a D+ may sound slightly better than 2021’s D, the reality behind the grade isn’t reassuring

Roughly 39% of major roads in the U.S. remain in poor or mediocre condition.

That’s an improvement from 43% five years ago, but the road ahead (pun intended) is still long.

Bad pavement, poor drainage, and inconsistent maintenance continue to cost the average driver over $1,400 per year in vehicle operating expenses and lost time.

That’s before factoring in the safety risks.

In 2023, 40,990 people died on U.S. roads

Nearly half of those deaths occurred in rural areas, which are home to only 19% of the population.

Congestion is another ongoing issue, especially in urban regions where the average driver lost 43 hours to traffic delays in 2024.

In short, the system isn’t working the way it should, and millions of people are feeling the consequences every day.

So why is it so hard to get this fixed?

Part of the challenge comes down to scale.

The U.S. has about 4.1 million miles of public roads. That includes everything from major interstate highways to tiny local streets, all of which age, weather, and wear out at different rates.

Not all roads are funded equally, either. Roads that carry the most traffic tend to get prioritized, which makes sense. But it also means thousands of miles of less-traveled routes quietly fall into disrepair.

There’s also the issue of money

Since the early 1990s, the federal gas tax, one of the main sources of highway funding, hasn’t been raised.

Adjusted for inflation, it’s lost 80% of its purchasing power. Meanwhile, fuel efficiency has improved, and EVs are on the rise, reducing the amount of fuel purchased overall.

That’s good news for emissions, but bad news for road maintenance budgets.

The ASCE says the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) made a dent

It authorized over $591 billion for transportation and infrastructure, including $273 billion in direct highway funding for states.

That money jumpstarted 207,000 miles of roadwork across the country. It’s progress, and it helped lift the grade slightly, but it isn’t enough to close the estimated $684 billion funding gap over the next decade, the report summary says.

Extreme weather is also putting stress on the road system

Rising temperatures, floods, fires, and hurricanes all degrade road surfaces and make maintenance more complicated. And it’s not just about repairing storm damage.

Roads now need to be designed with resilience in mind: able to support evacuations, handle heat, and survive heavier rainfall.

ASCE points out that well-planned, climate-aware designs can save lives, especially during major emergencies like the Caldor Fire or Hurricane Rita.

There’s also a growing consensus that simply building more roads won’t solve congestion or safety problems

The focus now is on preserving what we already have. That includes improving ride quality, managing assets more efficiently, and rethinking how capacity is measured.

Travel-time reliability (whether people can reasonably expect to get from point A to point B in a predictable amount of time) is becoming a key benchmark. Capacity for capacity’s sake no longer cuts it.

Looking forward, ASCE recommends a mix of strategies

The group calls for regular, transparent condition assessments, better public access to project plans and funding sources, and updated user fees that reflect how people use the roads today.

This includes options like road usage charges and electric vehicle fees. They also want states to think long-term, using life-cycle cost analysis to make smarter investment decisions and avoid repeating past mistakes.

The near-failing score on the 2025 report card is not a surprise, but it is a wake-up call.

The U.S. is making progress, but slowly. Reversing decades of underinvestment and deferred maintenance won’t happen overnight. It will take consistent funding, clear priorities, and public support for long-term fixes.

Until then, drivers will continue to pay the price in wear, time, and too often, tragedy.

Drivers can’t fix broken pavement with a wrench and a will, but they can take a few steps to protect their wallets, their safety, and their sanity while the country slowly digs itself out of a D+ grade.

Here’s what makes the most sense right now:

1. Report potholes and road hazards

Most cities and states have 311 systems or online portals where drivers can report problems. It’s not glamorous, but speaking up gets maintenance crews out faster—and it puts pressure on agencies to fix repeat trouble spots.

2. Use apps that track road conditions

Tools like Waze or Google Maps crowdsource real-time data. These can help you dodge construction zones, congestion, and craters deep enough to swallow your front end.

3. Get proactive about maintenance

Rough roads wear out suspension, tires, and alignment faster. Get regular inspections, especially if your daily drive feels like it’s been outsourced to a tank training ground. Catching issues early keeps repair costs down.

4. Slow down where roads are bad

Sounds obvious, but it matters. Hitting a pothole at 25 mph is one thing. Hitting it at 55 mph is how you bend a rim and break a strut.

5. Check for reimbursement

Some states and cities offer damage claims if your car takes a hit from poorly maintained roads. The process can be slow, but if a pothole blew out your tire, filing a claim might cover part or all of the repair.

6. Support infrastructure funding

When bond measures or local tax initiatives show up on the ballot, do your homework. Funding roads isn’t flashy, but voting for repair projects or pushing lawmakers to act keeps momentum moving in the right direction.

7. Advocate smarter, not just louder

It’s not just about more roads. It’s about better roads. Push for long-term maintenance plans, transparent funding use, and designs that support safety and efficiency over sprawl. Tell your local reps what matters, especially if you live in areas with recurring road failures or climate-related stress. For many U.S. cities, the answer might not be in roads at all, but in modern public transportation.

While you can’t personally fill the $684 billion road quality gap, you can drive smarter, spend wiser, and nudge the system where it needs to go.