Development of Adaptation Framework for Climate Change Engineering Assessment of Transportation Assets

System resiliency of transportation infrastructure is a growing concern of transportation professionals for both longer term risks associated with climate change and in response to extreme weather events. This paper presents a prioritization framework and case study addressing climate change adaptation for transportation infrastructure. This framework is based on (1) outcomes of a series of engineering assessments to identify implications of incorporating climate variability in projects already completed/underway, (2) development of policies for including risk as part of decision making in planning and engineering, (3) development of methods by which to prioritize improvements to reduce/eliminate risks to the existing network, and (4) development of methods by which to incorporate climate change/extreme weather into decision making for planning and engineering projects. Based on temporal distribution of expected climate change and observed issues, potentially at-risk facilities are identified. This framework also includes design life of transportation facilities, replacement cost values, and an assignment of loss scores for damage/loss value—all of which are utilized in a benefit-cost framework. This general framework can be customized by various agencies by redefining their priorities and addressing risks.