New Jersey Turnpike Authority uses exposure and vulnerability modeling to guide siting and prioritization

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority outlined a systemwide approach to flood risk that combines exposure modeling, a custom GIS visualization tool and asset-level vulnerability pilots to prioritize resilience investments.

"We need to understand where our risks are," said Caroline Bersner, manager of environmental design at the Turnpike Authority. She said the authority evaluated eight scenarios—riverine, coastal and stormwater flooding across present and future horizons—and used a moderate emission pathway (RCP 4.5) for conservative planning.

Bersner described a custom GIS-based visualization called the "flex tool" (flood exposure tool) that the authority uses for planning—not for permitting—to show potential flood levels along roadways. The authority used the tool on a proposed salt storage site near Parkway Mile Post 126; the analysis showed frequent flooding in the access roads and about half of the site across the scenarios considered, and the site was removed from consideration.

The authority said it conducted vulnerability pilot studies at five sites to refine methodology, using asset as-builts and higher-resolution data to assess roughly 560 assets (about 10% of the network). The pilots produced a 1-to-5 vulnerability score adapted from the U.S. Department of Transportation framework; Bersner said road segments in the pilot round tended to score higher for vulnerability but cautioned that scores are asset- and location-specific.

The authority said it will scale the process across its full asset portfolio to guide prioritization and project planning.