sustainability Article An Ex Ante Analysis of the Planned Transportation Network in the Region of Extremadura (Spain) by Using Physical Parameters Pedro Plasencia-Lozano Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain;
[email protected] Abstract: Some relevant transport infrastructures are expected to be built in Extremadura, a Spanish region. Future investments could transform the regional transportation system and therefore could act as an important lever for economic and social change. The text describes the current situation and also the planned infrastructures, and an ex ante study is developed. The research has set the deficiencies of Extremadura in terms of transportation network, but current planning proves that the rail and airport infrastructures in Extremadura are set to involve a significant change of model. Moreover, the importance of taking into consideration the transport planning documents of neighboring countries in the transport analysis of bordering regions and the negative consequence of designing national and regional transport plans without considering the neighboring plans have been described. Keywords: ex ante study; transport planning; transport policy; Atlantic corridor; regional HSR; regional airport; QGIS Citation: Plasencia-Lozano, P. An Ex Ante Analysis of the Planned Transportation Network in the Region of Extremadura (Spain) by 1. Introduction Using Physical Parameters. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5947. https:// It is a well-known fact that infrastructures are no guarantee for improving the economy, doi.org/10.3390/su13115947 while they are a necessary condition for improving it [1–3] by enabling the mobility of goods and people [4,5] or reducing operational cost [6], among other factors [7,8].