Effect of a road transport infrastructure in the urban structure. Study case: orbital motorway B-40 of Barcelona

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of the construction of the B-40 orbital motorway on the polycentric urban structure of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (BMR) based on changes of distance and functional relationship leading to variation of mobility patterns.

Methodology

This work, the analysis of the relationship between polycentrism and transport infrastructure is developed using travel modelling tools and territorial and urban structure indicators to assess the modification of polycentrism. This analysis is performed at three different timescales, for two situations that will be known as without, and with project. As a case study, it was chosen the orbital motorway B-40 located in the BMR, composed by 164 municipalities and organized in five metropolitan rings every ten kilometres measured from Barcelona.

Conclusions

The results obtained show that the main effect of the construction of the B-40 orbital motorway on the BMR is due to the articulation it generates between the main road axes that it crosses and connects. In addition, it is shown that there is variation on polycentrism because of the new mobility patterns that are generated by introducing a new road axis into the territory.

Originality

This research is original because the relationship between polycentrism and transport infrastructure was not evaluated for the specific case study using the proposed methodology. In addition, the analysis can be replicated to assess the effects of an infrastructure project at the planning stage.