PROTECT program

The PROTECT program provides funding to help make surface transportation more resilient to climate change and natural disasters.

The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA)/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the PROTECT program to help make surface transportation more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes and at-risk costal infrastructure.

PROTECT funds eligible activities include:

  • Planning Activities
  • Resilience Improvements
  • Community Resilience and Evacuation Route activities
  • At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure activities

Final Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022 PROTECT funds are provided to WSDOT’s fish passage projects. FFY 2023-26 funds are provided to local agency fish passage projects selected through the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (FBRB) and further coordinated with WSDOT Local Programs to ensure eligibility. Also, $25 million is provided to tribal projects identified in the Transportation Budget.

The federal participation rate is 80 percent.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA/BIL) PROTECT - (federal funding)

Slow down – lives are on the line.

In 2022, speeding continued to be a top reason for work zone crashes.

Even one life lost is too many.

Each year about 670 people are killed nationally in highway work zones. In 2022, Washington had six fatal work zone crashes on state roads.

It's in EVERYONE’S best interest.

95% of people hurt in work zones are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians, not just our road crews.