Environmental Impact Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis applied on Motorway A27 (NL)

The Motorway A27 from Breda to Utrecht in the Netherlands will be reconstructed over a length of 45 kilometers. More lanes will be added to accommodate for future traffic growth until the year 2033. The works consists of adding 2 or more lanes to the Motorway that now consists of 2x2 lanes. The reconstruction also includes building 3 new bridges crossing main rivers and canals in the Netherlands. The Dutch Road Authority is responsible for this reconstruction and the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment on Noise as well as complying with the Environmental Law on Noise. A consortium of contractors (FLOW 27) of which Anteagroup is the main contractor carried out the surveys for all environmental aspects including traffic noise. As part of this survey a Cost Benefit Analisys was performed using the Dutch CBA method. The CBA method was used to determine whether or not noise mitigation measures (noise barriers and noise reducing pavements) should be taken based on their cost effectiveness. The results of the survey are presented in terms of effects on noise annoyed people living in the urban areas around the Motorway.