Abstract
A visual assessment study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of the use of E- 97 route in Erzurum-Bayburt-Of (Trabzon) D925 state highway as scenic road. Highway of Erzurum-Bayburt-Of, which is 231 km, is a short cut from Eastern Anatolia to the Black Sea Region of Turkey. This route offers passes through three distinct natural and cultural zones as it passes through the cities of Erzurum, Trabzon and Bayburt. These represent the regions of Eastern Anatolia, the Black Sea and the transitional zone between the two regions, respectively. The rivers of Karasu and Coruh, the mountains of Kop and Soganli, and Uzungol Nature Park, are included in the study area, and contribute to the recreational potentials and increase the visual quality values. In the study, detailed maps showing all the elements, including the natural and cultural structures of the route and existent recreational values and vegetation cover were drawn. In the visual quality assessment of the route, four hundred university students from Ataturk University scored the scenes presented in a computerized format. Data were analysed using frequency distribution analysis, t- test and Anova test. According to the results, there were significant statistical differences between the parts of the route in the respect of visual quality. The segment between Soganli Mount Passage and Of (SO) received the highest mean score with 4.18 point while the segment between Erzurum and Bayburt (EB) got the second and the Bayburt and SogalA± Mount passage (BS) received the third highest scores with 3.55 and 3.49, respectively. For the visual quality characteristics of scenic beauty, excitement, attractiveness, water effect, colour effect, natural vegetation, road scene, recreational value, pastoral view, land form, naturalness, authenticity, originality, panoramic view, confidentiality, vitality, uniqueness and harmony, SO part received the highest scores while EB segment got the highest scores for cultural values. It was consequently found that the Erzurum-Bayburt-Of highway route has highly efficient natural, cultural and visual values to be evaluated as scenic road and some suggestions were proposed. Key words: Visual landscape analysis, visual quality, scenic road, highway, Erzurum-Bayburt-Of highway route.
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