Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: The Gulf Coast Study, Phase 2, Task 3.2: Engineering Analysis and Assessment

Acknowledging the importance of establishing systematic, transferable approaches for assessing and addressing vulnerability to climate- and weather-related risks, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT's) Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting commissioned a comprehensive, multiphase study of climate change impacts on transportation in the Central Gulf Coast region. This study is formally known as "Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf Coast Study" (hereafter, “the Gulf Coast Study”). Phase 1 (completed in 2008) examined the impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure at a regional scale. Phase 2 (nearing completion) provides a more detailed assessment of the vulnerability of the most critical components of the transportation system in Mobile, Alabama to weather events and long-term changes in climate. This report, Phase 2, Task 3.2, discusses a series of engineering assessments on specific transportation facilities in Mobile that evaluated whether those facilities might be vulnerable to projected changes in climate, and what specific adaptation measures could be effective in mitigating those vulnerabilities. The purpose of the engineering assessments was twofold: (1) Develop and test a detailed climate impact assessment process (The Process) that both evaluates the climate vulnerabilities of specific transportation assets, and evaluates possible adaptation strategies that could be implemented. The methodologies developed for these assessments could be applied to similar facilities elsewhere. This report represents one of the few resources available to transportation practitioners that include engineering methodologies for evaluating climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation measures at the facility level. (2) Explain and document Mobile-specific findings for each facility-climate stressor pair, including any findings that may apply more generally to engineering design practices, operations and maintenance practices, or other lessons learned.