Multi-criteria impacts assessment for ranking highway projects in Northwest Spain

• Ranking highways by forecasting socioeconomic and environmental regional impacts.
• Multi-criteria model under efficiency and cohesion criteria.
• Development promoted by highways in an area depends on its degree of the dynamism.

This paper presents a multi-criteria model to rank highway projects by predicting their combined potential impact on regional population, economy, environment, territory and mobility. A detailed study of initial conditions enable the selection of functional units of study and the identification of homogenous units within the region, playing a relevant role into the process. Ranking is based on the achievement of both efficiency and cohesion objectives at a regional level. The model is tested by analyzing the Spanish Transport Infrastructure Master Plan (PEIT) for the non-central area of Northwest Spain. Application of impact assessment shows that the construction of infrastructures has selective effects in the area according to the homogenous groups. Potential development was boosted in one of the zone groups, whereas in others, at best, there was a reduction in their regressive tendency. Finally, the model is a dynamic support tool that could be adapted to several planning policies only when the ranking criterion is well-justified.