Assessment of the Impact of Road Construction on the Ecological Environment

Abstract

In recent years, China has made remarkable progress in infrastructure construction, which has greatly contributed to the development of the regional economy. However, the impacts of construction on the ecological environment are of increasing concern. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the ecological environment of two expressways (the Chanliu Expressway and the Linghua Expressway) constructed during different time periods, to assess the impact of road construction on the ecosystem and the effectiveness of the Chinese government’s efforts in environmental protection. The pressure–state–response (PSR) model was adopted, which integrates a variety of remote sensing indicators. The ecological pressure, ecological state, and ecological response in the pre-, mid-, and post-construction periods of the road were assessed. The results reveal that the impacts of the construction of the Chanliu (1999–2002) and Linghua Expressways (2019–2023) on ecosystems are different. For the Chanliu Expressway, the ecological pressure continually increased, and the ecological state significantly declined during the construction period. When the road construction was finished, the environment continuously deteriorated. This was due to the lack of effective ecological protective measures during its construction. In contrast, the Linghua Expressway experienced reduced ecological pressure during the construction period, with the ecological state remaining relatively stable, as more protective measures were implemented. However, it later relied on natural recovery, which led to an increase in ecological pressure in the post-construction period. The results indicate that China’s ecological protective measures in road construction have achieved significant progress in recent years. In the future, it is essential to maintain long-term ecological health by strengthening ecological restoration management and continuous environmental monitoring.