Civil Engineers to Grade Utah’s Infrastructure Through Virtual News Conference on Wednesday

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. — The Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will unveil its preliminary findings from the 2020 Report Card for Utah’s Infrastructure on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 through a virtual news conference. The full report will be released in early January and will be accessible on the state’s Report Card page, which currently hosts the Section’s 2015 report. The report analyzes 12 infrastructure categories pertinent to Utah: aviation, bridges, canals, dams, drinking water, hazardous waste, levees, solid waste, stormwater, roads, transit and wastewater. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing risks of holding large gatherings, ASCE’s Utah Section is holding the event virtually. The event is open to the public and will be accepting questions from the press. 

Utah’s is home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the nation, which may contribute to its surging population growth, the highest percentage of any state. However, this population growth and awe-inspiring geography puts strain on the state’s infrastructure systems. Systems built decades ago weren’t prepared for surging demands and water pipelines must cross long distances from mountainsides to Salt Lake City residents and are threatened by seismic activity along the Wasatch Fault Zone. Despite these challenges, Utah has remained committed to improving the condition and resilience of existing and future structures. This report will help citizens and decision-makers understand how Utah’s infrastructure is faring and what can be done to modernize its systems.

WHAT: News Conference on the 2020 Report Card for Utah’s Infrastructure

WHEN: Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 10:00 a.m. MST

WHERE: Join here: https://jubengineers.zoom.us/j/94365682165?pwd=bDNxVGt4Uno2Nmx1RnFnbEwxVXloUT09

WHO:   American Society of Civil Engineers

K.N. Gunalan “Guna”, P.E., Ph.D., Past-President, ASCE

Darren Burton, P.E., President-Elect, ASCE Utah Section

Craig Friant, P.E., Past-President, ASCE Utah Section

               
Media interested in calling in or covering the report should contact Kevin Longley at (202) 701-8768 or klongley@asce.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.