Megaprojects in transportation networks

Abstract

Megaprojects are characterized by large investment volumes, high complexity and ambitious goals of their promoters with respect to technological, economic or aesthetic performance. There are a number of cases which show massive failures with planning, procurement, construction and operation of megaprojects in the transport sector. But there are also positive cases which underline that it is not a natural law that megaprojects fail rather than in the first instance a missing accountability of the planning and decision processes. In this context the criteria for success or failure have to be defined appropriately, because the widely used time and cost overruns are only rough indicators. Furthermore, the methods of evaluation have to be extended to allow for an integrated assessment of all sustainability aspects. Long planning and construction times imply that coping with uncertainty is a crucial issue such that risk and change management, stable legal, financial and political framework, and wide acceptance by stakeholders are essential requirements for a successful planning and implementation process.