The Sustainable Highway

Abstract

The Sustainable Highway, consisting of a transparent canopy of cold bendable laminated glass, is a potential solution to negative effects of road traffic. It can be placed over the highway and uses several sub-systems to reduce noise nuisance, local air pollution as well as the emission of CO2. As a consequence of this reduction, spatial development in general and more specifically the construction of houses becomes possible alongside the highway, where this previously was prohibited by environmental regulations. This research project has investigated the technological and socio-economical feasibility of the concept in addition to possible implementation strategies by answering the following research question: To what extent can the concept of The Sustainable Highway provide a technologically and socio-economically feasible solution to the negative side effects of road traffic and how could The Sustainable Highway be successfully implemented given the institutional context? From a technological perspective, The Sustainable Highway is a feasible concept. Technological systems which are applied in the concept are to a large extent proven and an independent second opinion endorses the advantages which Movares claims to offer with this concept. Although several technological uncertainties remain, on the whole the concept provides a technologically feasible alternative to common practices such as a noise barriers or a tunnel. The socio-economic feasibility of the concept depends on the location in which it will be realised. The possibility for spatial development and the revenues from building land form a large component of the benefits the concept can achieve. Therefore, when The Sustainable Highway is realised on a highway running through a densely populated urban area, where local residents experience severe hindrance from noise and air pollution and where building land can be developed in the area, it is a socio economically feasible alternative. From an institutional perspective, there has to be a window of opportunity in order to successfully introduce the concept, and the institutional context should not pose additional limitations to the concept. Gaining the support of local parties and forming a consortium of private parties which is able to realise The Sustainable Highway are the first steps towards implementing the concept into its institutional context.