Environment Impact Assessment of Highway Expansion – A Review

Abstract

Highway expansion improves the quality of existing roads and enhances the connectivity between prime economic centres. The escalating traffic and need to bolster the economic capability of the area leads to the expansion of highways. Moreover, the accession activity disturbs the ecosystem and induces myriad changes in the surrounding panorama. Also, it affects both abiotic and biotic components, directly and indirectly. Thus, to know and predict the impact on the environment and socio-economic conditions of the residents, Environment Impact Assessment of National Highways is imperative. Therefore, this paper reviews the influence of highway expansion on air, water and soil quality and the socio-economic conditions and health of the natives.

Pertubation of Road Construction and Inorganic Sedimentation on the Macroinvetebrate Fauna in the Midstream Segment of Qua Iboe River, Nigeria

“…The road construction resulted in elevated levels of the pollution parameters (turbidity, suspended load, bed load and BOD) which also had a significant effect on the macroinvertebrate species richness and diversity in the perturbed zone. Sedimentation of silt and other organic and inorganic particles caused by road construction is known to interfere with respiratory and feeding activity and with filterfeeding mechanisms in invertebrates [8,20,21,22,23].…”

“…The P/R ratio for the unperturbed was zone 0.83±0. 23 during low discharge and 0.58± 0.12 during a high discharge, depicting heterotrophic conditions (P/R < 1). The three zones were heterotrophic (P/R < 1.0).…”

Overview of the application of ecological concrete in sponge city construction

“…Due to the construction and development of railroads, highways, mines, and water conservancy projects (Andrew, 1990;Bennett, 1991;Cohen-Fernández and Naeth, 2013;Shao at el., 2014), a large number of exposed rock slopes and fragile banks slopes have been formed (Bengtsson at el., 2000;Zeng et al, 2020;Walia et al, 2017;Zeng et al, 2019). Affected by natural climates such as rainfall, weathering, and dry-wet cycles, the slopes are prone to runoff, resulting in a large amount of soil erosion (Caro et al, 2014;Handa et al, 2019).…”

Management of environmental risks in highway construction projects in Sri Lanka

“…HCPs are riskier and subjected to various risks such as technical, site, and commercial risks, as well as external risks such as environmental, political, and socioeconomic risks (El-Sayegh and Mansour, 2015). Highway construction results in the direct removal and destruction of existing ecosystems as well as the alteration of regional landforms (Walia et al, 2017). Also, the development of roads alters the topography in a variety of ecological ways, which are indicated by both abiotic and biotic elements of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Hansen et al, 2005).…”