During the past ten years the Civil Engineering Department at M.I.T. has developed programming systems and computer-oriented methods of analysis for the economic location and design of highway systems. This report presents a location study and economic analysis of a short segment of new interstate highway in Eastern Massachusetts. It demonstrates the manner in which integrated computer engineering systems can be used to advantage in deciding between alternatives during the location and preliminary engineering design phases of a project. In each phase of this example project, the most modern techniques and modern methods of analysis were used. Automated data procurement and reduction, electronic computation, automatic drafting, and sensitivity analysis were employed where these techniques offered saving in engineering time or where a better job of design could be accomplished through their use. This report shows how engineers can use computer models for prediction and evaluation and demonstrates the power of these new tools when probably applied.
Highway Location Analysis will be of specific concern to professional highway locators, highway engineers, civil engineering professors, and highway administrators.
