The process of strategic noise mapping of Spanish Major Roads (EGRA): First results already available

The Direccion General de Carreteras of the Spanish Ministry of Transport is clearly driving the process of Strategic Noise Mapping of Major Roads by the EGRA project. The key issues to be considered during the process are: The quality of the results, taking into account that there is not so much experience in Spain in the methodology proposed by the European Noise Directive; The need of getting harmonized results among the whole network; The intention of doing a transparent approach and setting a collaborative framework with the Environment Ministry, the Direccion General de Ferrocarriles (Railways), and Regional Governments; and finally The interest on getting useful results of the process. The process is already on and on that sense all the network where a Noise Map should be done for 2007 is identified, it is divided into sectors to be contracted and by 2007 all the Noise Maps (around 6.400 km) will be done. The whole process considers the following issues: The capability of the sector; The methodology for Noise Mapping; The input data; A quality control for the Noise Mapping process; A set of publications for capability building.