California plans to spend $1 billion to protect its transportation system from damage caused by storms and other climate-related problems. 

The California Transportation Commission has released details on the funding, which will help numerous projects across the state that are meant to make roads safer, drain water better and prepare for emergencies.

This program is part of Governor Newsom’s “,” plan. It has $311 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and $301 million from California’s SB1 program. The state’s emergency and infrastructure projects will provide surplus money.

“This investment will protect our roads and communities and lead to smarter, faster and more reliable transportation options,” says Tony Tavares, Director of Caltrans.

California has been hit by damaging storms, landslides and floods for years, which is why the push is happening now. Many of the planned improvements will be made in rural and coastal areas that are at risk because roads often get damaged when it rains. Several big projects that will be made possible by this new round of funding have already been named:

• In Tehama County, $40.9 million will be used to make SR-99 safer and improve its water systems.
• Real-time traveler information tools will be put in place along I-710 in Los Angeles County with $27.8 million.
• Humboldt County will get $19.8 million to help with drainage along U.S. 101 during storms.
• Mendocino County will get $83 million to fix up Route 1’s unstable slopes right away.
• On U.S. 101 north of Willits, $12.2 million has been set aside for center barriers and rumble strips.
• Another $3.2 million is set aside to fix up Route 36 in Humboldt County after a storm.

Officials from Caltrans say that these investments will make the state’s road system more reliable and extend the life of assets by using smart technology and designing roads that can adapt to different climates.

 This big commitment goes along with other efforts to build resilience, like Los Angeles’ plan to change how stormwater is managed to lower floods and improve water quality. 

California in fact is gaining from changes to federal policy that make it easier to get permits for infrastructure. This helps move these important public works along more quickly. 

For contractors, the storm-focused improvements give them project scopes for drainage, grading, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and making roads safer. People who have worked on climate-adaptive infrastructure before are likely to get jobs in this growing field. 

This $1 billion package is a turning point in how California plans, builds and protects its transportation network. The state is putting long-term stability first.