Testing of two tools for analysing climate change risks and cost-benifit analysis of climate change adaptation in relation to road investment and maintenance operations (RoadAdapt)

The purpose of RoadAdapt is to test two new methods for assessing how well important road sections in Norway tolerate climate change, and possibly how much can be saved by implementing preventive measures.

Several of the major roads in Norway are closed for periods due to flooding, surface water and various types of landslides. Such problems are expected to increase due to climate change. Therefore, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration will obtain a better overview of where the issues lies and how far it pays to avoid problems in advance with prevention.

the Professionals make the assessments

The one method the researchers will try out, make use of the knowledge and experience of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s own professionals in various subject areas. The researchers will put their knowledge into a system by holding a series of structured gatherings.

These gatherings are set up so that professionals themselves make assessments of the consequences and probability of various incidents along a stretch of road. The researchers enter the assessments into a model to calculate the risk on the road section in a different climate.

The precautionary principle?

The second method to be tested in RoadAdapt is a tool for weighing costs against benefits. In other words: will it pay to prevent overwater on a flood-exposed road, or is the damage potential too small and the cost too high?

In this part of the study, the researchers calculate how much one can expect to save or lose by implementing preventive measures along the same stretch of road for which one calculates climate risk. The basis for the calculation is thus the risk assessment from the first method.

E-road 39

The road that will serve as a case in the study is a longer stretch of E39 between Agder and Sogn og Fjordane. Europaveg 39 starts in Trøndelag and runs via Trondheim, Ålesund, Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. The road was named E39 19 years ago.

Western Norway Research Institute is carrying out the project together with Menon Economics. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is the client.

The reports from the project can be found on Western Norway Research Institute's website.