Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria
Traffic contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For designing new traffic routes and decision-making processes, it is essential to incorporate integral life cycle assessments (LCAs) to ensure sustainable solutions and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This st...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1669 |
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| author | Lukas Hausberger Matthias Flora Florian Gschösser |
| author_facet | Lukas Hausberger Matthias Flora Florian Gschösser |
| author_sort | Lukas Hausberger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traffic contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For designing new traffic routes and decision-making processes, it is essential to incorporate integral life cycle assessments (LCAs) to ensure sustainable solutions and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study compares two fictitious routes: a typical Austrian mountain pass road (Route A) with a 3% gradient and a new route (Route B) featuring a 1000 m tunnel, reducing distance and inclines. The LCA analyzes Route B’s lifecycle, from material supply to 100-year tunnel usage, comparing it against a traffic LCA of Route A’s operational emissions. The tunnel assessment considers the New Austrian Tunneling Method, local materials, and typical geology. Traffic effects are analyzed using Austrian vehicle stock data, following EN 17472 and EN 15804 standards. The results, based on Global Warming Potential, indicate that Route B’s construction, maintenance, and utilization generate lower environmental impacts than Route A’s traffic emissions. The tunnel offers overall environmental savings, with its construction and maintenance impacts offset within approximately 10 years. Traffic usage is identified as the primary long-term emission source. This research highlights the significance of integral LCAs in creating a sustainable built environment and supporting a decision-making process in transport infrastructure construction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ff9710324ce24921b6229cf79aba55b2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-ff9710324ce24921b6229cf79aba55b22025-08-20T03:47:48ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-05-011510166910.3390/buildings15101669Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in AustriaLukas Hausberger0Matthias Flora1Florian Gschösser2Unit of Construction Management and Tunnelling, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, AustriaUnit of Construction Management and Tunnelling, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, AustriaUnit of Construction Management and Tunnelling, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, AustriaTraffic contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For designing new traffic routes and decision-making processes, it is essential to incorporate integral life cycle assessments (LCAs) to ensure sustainable solutions and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study compares two fictitious routes: a typical Austrian mountain pass road (Route A) with a 3% gradient and a new route (Route B) featuring a 1000 m tunnel, reducing distance and inclines. The LCA analyzes Route B’s lifecycle, from material supply to 100-year tunnel usage, comparing it against a traffic LCA of Route A’s operational emissions. The tunnel assessment considers the New Austrian Tunneling Method, local materials, and typical geology. Traffic effects are analyzed using Austrian vehicle stock data, following EN 17472 and EN 15804 standards. The results, based on Global Warming Potential, indicate that Route B’s construction, maintenance, and utilization generate lower environmental impacts than Route A’s traffic emissions. The tunnel offers overall environmental savings, with its construction and maintenance impacts offset within approximately 10 years. Traffic usage is identified as the primary long-term emission source. This research highlights the significance of integral LCAs in creating a sustainable built environment and supporting a decision-making process in transport infrastructure construction.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1669life cycle assessmenttransport infrastructuretraffictunnel vs. pass roadsustainability |
| spellingShingle | Lukas Hausberger Matthias Flora Florian Gschösser Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria Buildings life cycle assessment transport infrastructure traffic tunnel vs. pass road sustainability |
| title | Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria |
| title_full | Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria |
| title_short | Environmental Impacts of Road Traffic and Route Variants: An Accurate Way to Support Decision-Making Processes of Mountain Roads and Tunnels in Austria |
| title_sort | environmental impacts of road traffic and route variants an accurate way to support decision making processes of mountain roads and tunnels in austria |
| topic | life cycle assessment transport infrastructure traffic tunnel vs. pass road sustainability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1669 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lukashausberger environmentalimpactsofroadtrafficandroutevariantsanaccuratewaytosupportdecisionmakingprocessesofmountainroadsandtunnelsinaustria AT matthiasflora environmentalimpactsofroadtrafficandroutevariantsanaccuratewaytosupportdecisionmakingprocessesofmountainroadsandtunnelsinaustria AT floriangschosser environmentalimpactsofroadtrafficandroutevariantsanaccuratewaytosupportdecisionmakingprocessesofmountainroadsandtunnelsinaustria |