The Highway Cost-Benefit Analysis System (HCBAS) is a structured analytical framework used to evaluate the economic viability of highway and road infrastructure projects. It applies cost-benefit analysis principles to compare project costs—such as construction, maintenance, land acquisition, and operating expenses—with anticipated benefits including travel time savings, vehicle operating cost reductions, accident cost savings, and environmental impacts.
The system typically incorporates traffic forecasts, discounting of future costs and benefits, and economic indicators such as net present value, benefit-cost ratio, and internal rate of return. It supports scenario testing and sensitivity analysis to account for uncertainties in demand, costs, and policy assumptions.
HCBAS assists governments and transport agencies in prioritizing highway investments, ensuring efficient allocation of limited public funds, and promoting transparent, evidence-based infrastructure planning decisions.
