I-26 in unicoi county resilience planning-planning

The Federal Highway Administration awarded the Tennessee Department of Transportation $1.2 million on August 31, 2026, under the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) program to conduct resilience planning along Interstate 26 in Unicoi County, Tennessee.

The award funds flood and hydraulic analysis, assessment of transportation infrastructure vulnerabilities to flooding and extreme weather, development and evaluation of resilience alternatives, and predesign activities to identify strategies for improving the corridor's resilience to future flooding and extreme weather events. Performance of work occurs in Tennessee through September 1, 2031. The PROTECT program provides grants to strengthen surface transportation resilience to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, and extreme weather events through planning activities and resilience improvements.

Project description

Conduct resilience planning along I-26 in unicoi county, including flood and hydraulic analysis, assessment of transportation infrastructure vulnerabilities, development and evaluation of resilience alternatives, and predesign activities to identify strategies for improving the corridor's resilience to future flooding and extreme weather events.