Counties eligible for $787 million in DOT PROTECT grants to build disaster-resilient surface transportation

Key Takeaways

On August 28, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant program will be allocating up to $787 million in grants for state and local governments, including counties. The PROTECT grant program funds projects engaged in building surface transportation systems, including highways, public transportation, ports and intercity passenger rail, that are resilient to weather events and natural disasters.

The DOT will provide different types of grants through the PROTECT program – Planning Grants, Resilience Improvement Grants, Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants. 

There is no minimum or maximum award amount for these grants, but the anticipated award range for Planning Grants is between $100,000 and $10 million, with a total allocation of up to $551 million. The anticipated award range for Resilience Improvement Grants, Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants is between $500,000 and $60 million, with a total allocation of up to $79 million for each kind of grant. 

All grants except for the Planning Grants require a minimum non-Federal cost share of 20 percent. However, projects covered by a Resilience Improvement Plan may be eligible to reduce the cost-sharing requirement to between 17 and 10 percent. 

County Impact

The PROTECT grants provide funding for a wide range of projects for counties related to surface transportation reinforcement, strengthening evacuation routes and emergency preparedness related to transportation. Projects funded by PROTECT grants in counties during Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 include: 

• Coconino County, Ariz.: Nearly $15.6 million to prepare highway infrastructure to better withstand flooding that happens following wildfires.
• Los Angeles County, Calif.: Nearly $3.2 million to implement Integrated Corridor Management Strategies on a section of the California interstate to minimize delays during evacuations and improve emergency response times.
• Orange County, Fla.: $1 million to develop a Real-Time Flood Predictive Model (RFPM) to predict floods up to 72 hours in advance of storms. 
• Missoula County, Mont.: Over $2.9 million to replace the Lolo Street Bridge as an evacuation and emergency response route.
• Harris County, Texas: Over $9.6 million to develop an evaluation of the roadway drainage capacities in unincorporated areas of the county. 
• Stafford County, Va.: Over $10.2 million to realign a portion of a major transportation route to address frequent blockages from flooding.

How to Apply

Counties can apply by visiting Grants.gov. Applications are due on October 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Applicants who previously applied for PROTECT grants in 2024 must re-apply using the updated 2026 template to be considered for funding. Applications are due on October 9 at 11:59 p.m. The DOT expects to announce awards at the beginning of December. 

To access the full Notice of Funding Opportunity with information about application eligibility and evaluation criteria, click here.