Roads unfit for extreme weather from climate change.
California's Highway One, heavily impacted by climate change, has closed sections due to landslides, causing increased road maintenance costs nationwide.
California’s Highway One, a stunning 650-mile stretch along the Pacific Coast, has faced major closures since 2023 due to severe weather. Atmospheric rivers battered the state, leading to landslides and rockslides that the road wasn’t designed to endure. Paul Chinowsky, a civil engineering expert, points out that engineers didn’t foresee such drastic changes in precipitation or the severe erosion linked to climate change. This climate crisis is pushing the limits of infrastructure built for a different era.
Similar issues are cropping up everywhere. From Wyoming’s Highway 22, which was cut off last summer, to persistent road closures in Western North Carolina and the devastating effects of 2022 floods in Pakistan, global warming is wreaking havoc on our roadways. If we don’t adapt now, road maintenance could skyrocket by $182 billion a year by 2090. Taking proactive measures is key; it could limit that increase to just $4 billion annually. But for critical roads like Highway One, the challenge is immense, often requiring costly re-engineering or relocation.
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