The federal government is awarding Hawaii more than $5.2 million to protect and strengthen Kamehameha Highway from rockfalls and erosion, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

The funding comes in the form of two grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Discretionary Grant Program.

PROTECT was launched under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to “ensure transportation resilience” to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise and extreme weather events.

The funding will be used to install a coastal barrier to prevent erosion of Kamehameha Highway in Kaaawa, and to replace an existing fence to protect the highway from rockfalls in Pupukea.

“Thousands of people on Oahu rely on Kamehameha Highway every day to get to where they need to go, whether that’s school or work,” said Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, in a news release. “But rockfalls and erosion can cause disruptive traffic delays and can be dangerous. This new funding will help strengthen Kamehameha Highway so that we can prevent these kinds of events and keep people safe.”