Assessing road network resilience: An accessibility comparative analysis

In this study, we measure the resilience of the road networks in two Mediterranean regions: Valencia (Spain) and Sardinia (Italy). We apply a framework that is able to monitor the deterioration in territorial accessibility of the two systems in response to the cumulative elimination of sections. Road sections are removed according to different elimination types: random order, deterministic order of criticality, and deterministic order in areas at high risk of flooding. The results show that the Sardinian network is more resilient than the Valencian network, despite its poorer quality. We demonstrate that the framework can integrate climate change considerations in the resilience assessment. As the framework identifies the most critical sections, the method can be adopted as a support system by transport planners and policy makers.

Automated summary

This study compares the resilience of road networks in two Mediterranean regions, Valencia (Spain) and Sardinia (Italy), demonstrating that despite poorer quality, the Sardinian network is more resilient than the Valencian network. The framework used in the study can integrate climate change considerations into resilience assessment and help transport planners and policy makers identify critical sections for support.