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Factors influencing the location of new motorways: large scale motorway building in Spain

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  • Holl, Adelheid

Abstract

Since the 1980s Spain has developed an ambitious road building programme with the construction of approximately 12,000km of new motorways. This article analyses the factors related to the placement of these new motorways during two distinct planning periods from 1983 to 1993 and 1994 to 2004. Motorway placement strongly followed the existing radial road network dating back as far as the eighteenth century which illustrates the critical role that past decisions play in the placement of new investment. Motorway placement was also significantly related to population size and, more in general, the urban system. The empirical analysis, however, provides little evidence that motorways were placed in response to local economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Holl, Adelheid, 2011. "Factors influencing the location of new motorways: large scale motorway building in Spain," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1282-1293.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:19:y:2011:i:6:p:1282-1293
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.06.006
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    Cited by:

    1. José Manuel Naranjo Gómez, 2016. "Impacts on the Social Cohesion of Mainland Spain’s Future Motorway and High-Speed Rail Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Garcia-López, Miquel-Àngel, 2012. "Urban spatial structure, suburbanization and transportation in Barcelona," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 176-190.
    3. Federico Pablo-Martí & Ángel Alañón-Pardo & Angel Sánchez, 2021. "Complex networks to understand the past: the case of roads in Bourbon Spain," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 15(3), pages 477-534, September.
    4. Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López & Albert Solé-Ollé & Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2014. "Do land use policies follow road construction?," Working Papers 2014/2, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    5. Rocha, Bruno T. & Afonso, Nuno & Melo, Patrícia C. & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2022. "What drives the allocation of motorways? Evidence from Portugal's fast-expanding network," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Pedro Albarran & Raquel Carrasco & Adelheid Holl, 2013. "Domestic transport infrastructure and firms’ export market participation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 879-898, May.
    7. Baños-Pino, José F. & Boto-García, David & Zapico, Emma, 2021. "Persistence and dynamics in the efficiency of toll motorways: The Spanish case," Efficiency Series Papers 2021/03, University of Oviedo, Department of Economics, Oviedo Efficiency Group (OEG).
    8. Pavón-Domínguez, P. & Rincón-Casado, A. & Ruiz, P. & Camacho-Magriñán, P., 2018. "Multifractal approach for comparing road transport network geometry: The case of Spain," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 510(C), pages 678-690.
    9. Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López & Albert Solé-Ollé & Elisabet Viladecans Marsal, 2014. "Do Land Use Policies Follow Road Construction," CESifo Working Paper Series 4672, CESifo Group Munich.
    10. Baños-Pino, José F. & Boto-García, David & Zapico, Emma, 2022. "Persistence and dynamics in the efficiency of toll motorways: The Spanish case," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    11. Tomasz Komornicki & Sławomir Goliszek, 2023. "New Transport Infrastructure and Regional Development of Central and Eastern Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, March.
    12. Holl, Adelheid, 2016. "Highways and productivity in manufacturing firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 131-151.
    13. Holl, Adelheid & Mariotti, Ilaria, 2018. "Highways and firm performance in the logistics industry," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 139-150.
    14. Miquel- Àngel Garcia-López, 2012. "Urban spatial structure, suburbanization and transportation in Barcelona," Working Papers 2012/11, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    15. Miquel- Àngel Garcia-López & Adelheid Holl & Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2013. "Suburbanization and highways: when the romans, the bourbons and the first cars still shape Spanish cities," Working Papers 2013/5, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    16. Garcia-López, Miquel-Ángel & Holl, Adelheid & Viladecans-Marsal, Elisabet, 2015. "Suburbanization and highways in Spain when the Romans and the Bourbons still shape its cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 52-67.
    17. Adelheid Holl, 2018. "Local employment growth patterns and the Great Recession: The case of Spain," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 837-863, September.
    18. Miquel- Àngel Garcia-López & Adelheid Holl & Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2013. "Suburbanization and highways: when the romans, the bourbons and the first cars still shape Spanish cities," Working Papers 2013/5, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Infrastructure; Motorways; Placement; Planning; Historic context;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R42 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government and Private Investment Analysis; Road Maintenance; Transportation Planning
    • R53 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Public Facility Location Analysis; Public Investment and Capital Stock
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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