Motorway Impact Study on Agricultural Land Based on Satellite Images and GIS

Abstract. Whenever a new motorway is built, an important agricultural area is affected. In order to evaluate it’s impact in the environment the new technologies based on GIS (Geographical Information System) and Remote Sensing can be a real help. The satellite images or other ortho-rectified aerial photos can offer a real image of the study area and help the designers to take the right decision according to their needs. Also using GIS technology, intersecting different layers, can be obtained, relatively easy, areas, perimeters, slopes, volumes, in fact, different data needed in the design process. The images offer something that we can not find on the maps, the aspect and orientation of parcels and their different land use. Also using a DTM (Digital Terrain Modell) the real world can be represented more accurate. That means we can decide easier on different aspects of the new project. The main data needed: topographic layer; hydrographic layer; land use/cover layer; DTM; Satellite/aerial image; Projected parameters of the motorway. Based on the satellite/aerial images the old topographical maps can be updated. In this study is an example on how the project had to be modified because of the old topographical map. The main result of the study consists in series of land areas, classified upon the land cover and surface, affected by the motorway. Also, based on the DTM, a three dimensional view of the area can be represented as a layout or as flight-through