Autoroutes et espace rural belges : aspects économiques ...

The article first describes the general characteristics of the Belgian motorway system and recent developments. It situates the general conceptions on which the building of these motorways is based in the political context. It then gives some data concerning the cost of construction and upkeep, and then considers the delicate question of whether they pay their way. Secondly, the economic impact of the motorways on farming is examined. The loss of land the accompanying decline in income are certainly the most obvious consequences but not the most serious. The moral prejudice — the redeployment of farmers whose land has been compulsarily purchased, the destruction of the landscape, the harmful effects of all kinds of pollution, the spoiling of beauty spots, the cutting off of farms... are much more important aspects. In conclusion, the writer proposes an economic interpretation of the continual and irreversible decline in the area of land farmed and suggests that the optimum size of the Belgian motorway network should be defined scientifically.