Data Envelopment Analysis for Technological, Environmental and Economic Analysis of Motorway Underpasses

Myšková, Kateřina; Žák, Jaroslav · 2016 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.11118/actaun201664010307

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Summary

This study addresses the challenge of optimizing the design of motorway underpasses to ensure wildlife permeability while managing construction costs. Motorways often cause population fragmentation, necessitating structures like underpasses to facilitate animal migration. However, a trade-off exists: increasing underpass dimensions (width, height) improves functionality for wildlife but significantly raises costs. The authors aim to identify "good" solutions that balance sufficient migration potential with reasonable total costs, moving beyond empirical design principles to a mathematically precise optimization method. The researchers applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), specifically the input-oriented BCC model, to evaluate the efficiency of 23 selected underpasses located on the D1 motorway and R6 expressway in the Czech Republic. The analysis treated total costs and additional modification costs as inputs to be minimized, while technical and ecological migration potentials served as outputs to be maximized. Migration potentials were calculated based on a methodology by Žák and Florian (2013), considering parameters such as span, height, noise barriers, and glare reduction. Ecological potential was determined by an ecologist based on local species presence. The study categorized wildlife into three groups: large mammals (L), mid-sized mammals (M), and small mammals (S), evaluating efficiency separately for each. Cost data included preparations, design, construction, maintenance, and demolition over a 100-year service life. The results identified specific underpasses as efficient ("good") solutions for each wildlife category. For small mammals (S), nine underpasses were deemed efficient, including low-cost narrow structures and moderately costly ones with high crossing ease. For mid-sized mammals (M), ten efficient underpasses were identified, with cost-effectiveness being a key factor. For large mammals (L), only seven underpasses were efficient, reflecting their higher requirements for migration potential. The DEA model highlighted that neither the least expensive structures nor those with the highest technical potential were automatically efficient; instead, efficiency depended on the optimal ratio of cost to functional output. The analysis also quantified the necessary adjustments in costs or potential for inefficient units to reach the efficiency frontier. The study concludes that DEA is a valuable tool for planning wildlife crossing structures, effectively filtering out overly expensive designs and those with insufficient functionality. The findings reinforce that underpass dimensions should be tailored to the specific species present, avoiding overly generous sizing that increases costs without significant functional gains. The authors recommend continuous fencing, long-term monitoring to assess wildlife adaptation (typically 2–5 years), and the use of technology to minimize environmental impacts. This approach provides a structured method for balancing ecological needs with economic constraints in infrastructure planning.

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