Useful in a construction environment, for example, the protection system is installed over a surface to be protected, various configurations of a protection system are installed over a portion of an infrastructure improvement, such as a sidewalk, curb, gutter, or other structure. Traffic crossing the surface of the infrastructure improvement is then directed over the protection system to avoid damage that could otherwise occur due to the application of topical weight directly on the surface. The protection system may include ramps that facilitate traffic over the protected surface.