LEAST COST PATH ALGORITHM DESIGN FOR HIGHWAY ROUTE SELECTION

Highway route design is a difficult process due to the complex structure of the environment. The topography and the natural geographical objects constitute an obstacle for highway constructions. On the other hand, the cost parameter and protecting the environment are main two issues which planners have to consider. Thus, the priorities of the highway routes should be decided according to the requirements and expectations. At this point, Least Cost Path Algorithm (LCPA) makes it possible to investigate least cost path for highway routes. This cost can be assigned as the cost of the constructions such as avoiding slope and swampy areas or an environmental object such as keeping the forests and not damaging to agricultural lands. When the cost parameter is decided, then LCPA can calculate the least cost path from origin point to destination. In this study, new highway routes are investigated for Konya city with economic, environmentally and hybrid approaches. The cost parameter and related surfaces are generated according to the highway construction requirements and then with LCPA, three different routes are calculated. The result maps are generated and the three approaches are compared for environmental and cost parameters.