July 11, 2023

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When Hurricane Florence swept through Eastern North Carolina, it cut off Wilmington from the rest of the state. With major roads and bridges severely damaged, people had no way in or out of the city. Worse still, many emergency services, like paramedics and police, were blocked during the disaster. 

To prevent such disasters from happening again, the federal government recently dedicated billions of dollars to strengthen transportation systems against higher seas, stronger storms, and other natural hazards. In April the U.S. Department of Transportation released details for the new Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) competitive grant program. 

Created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this grant program represents a huge influx of money for states to invest in transportation — something we may not often think about in the context of flooding. As such, PROTECT presents an enormous opportunity for states, tribes, localities, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to embed new and innovative flood resilience solutions within transportation projects. 

During the infrastructure debate, the American Flood Coalition called for this kind of transformational investment in flood resilience.

Using PROTECT funds for innovative flooding solutions

Notably, PROTECT funds allow states to upgrade and reinforce existing transportation infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather, sea level rise, and flooding. PROTECT will also fund planning grants for communities to complete vulnerability assessments or develop data tools to consider how assets will fare under current and future conditions. 

This competitive grant program was established by Congress to complement the PROTECT program’s formula funding for states. Formula funds will be allocated by state departments of transportation, while eligible entities can directly apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation for PROTECT competitive grants. 

Together, the PROTECT competitive and formula programs are slated to invest at least $8.7 billion for transportation resilience through 2026.

Now that the competitive grant program is live, eligible applicants — states, MPOs, local governments, and tribes — have until August 18, 2023, to apply for a total of $848 million in available funding across the types of PROTECT grants outlined below. That total includes funds made available for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years, with additional funding expected on an annual basis through 2026. 

4 types of PROTECT grants

Because the PROTECT program is new, we are still waiting to see what transportation projects and resilience solutions it will support. Below are the four categories of grants — along with potential projects within each category — under the PROTECT competitive program: 

Planning Grants fund resilience planning, design, or data tools to simulate scenarios of transportation disruption. These grants can also boost technical capacity to support communities as they assess the vulnerability of transportation assets and response strategies, such as evacuation planning and preparation. Additionally, planning grants can help states or MPOs develop resilience improvement plans, which focus on planning activities and investments. Such plans include conducting risk-based assessments to determine how vulnerable transportation assets and systems are when faced with extreme weather.

Resilience Improvement Grants fund improvements to an existing surface transportation asset to help it withstand increasingly frequent or intense extreme weather, including sea level rise, flooding, and wildfires. Such improvements can include resurfacing or rehabilitating an asset, incorporating natural infrastructure, installing measures to reduce flooding or remove rainwater, installing stormwater controls or improving drainage, relocating roadways, or stabilizing slopes.

Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants fund projects that strengthen and protect evacuation routes used during an emergency, including: constructing new or additional evacuation routes, acquiring traffic equipment or signage, or improving access or service to critical destinations, such as hospitals, major employers, and emergency services.

At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants fund efforts to enhance the resilience of highway and non-rail infrastructure to protect those assets from extreme weather, coastal erosion, and sea level rise. Eligible infrastructure includes bridges, roads, pedestrian walkways, and bike lanes, as well as associated infrastructure, like culverts and tide gates. 

Note: Only a subset of U.S. states and territories are eligible for at-risk coastal infrastructure grants. Applicants must border or be located within the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, or one or more of the Great Lakes.

A smoother road ahead

Through the bipartisan infrastructure law, the federal government has made historic, dedicated investments to make roads and transportation systems, as well as those who rely on them, more resilient to flooding. The PROTECT program brings this vision to life. 

With funds from PROTECT, communities across the country will build and upgrade transportation infrastructure with resilience in mind. Such investments, backed by thoughtful planning and shaped by forward-looking data, will ensure that infrastructure can withstand the next disaster, and that communities can recover more readily in its wake.