Climate-Resilient Roadways: Adaptive Strategies for Extreme Weather Events

Abstract

Extreme climate events, including hurricanes, flooding, heatwaves, and wildfires, increasingly challenge the resilience and functionality of transportation infrastructure. This perspective synthesizes multi-hazard vulnerabilities and forward-looking adaptation strategies. Using Hurricane Helene (2024) as a case study, screening-level hydrological simulations show that lime-treated base layers can reduce flood-induced erosion significantly. For heatwaves, phase change material (PCM)-modified asphalt stabilizes pavement temperatures through latent heat absorption, mitigating rutting and oxidative aging. Wildfire modeling further indicates that vegetation-free roadside buffer zones of approximately 20 m can substantially reduce modeled thermal exposure above the roadway, helping preserve the functionality of evacuation routes. These findings underscore the importance of integrating advanced materials, predictive climate modeling, and multi-hazard design frameworks into transportation planning to support long-term infrastructure resilience and community safety.