Alpnap – a New Project on Traffic-induced Noise and Air Pollution along Transport Routes in the Alps

ALPNAP (Monitoring and Minimisation of Traffic-Induced Noise and Air Pollution Along Major Alpine Transport Routes) is a new project financed under the EU Interreg III B Alpine Space Programme. It will run from 2005-2007. A network of eleven institutions has been formed with DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics as the lead partner. The project aims at the integrated use of advanced science-based methods to monitor, assess, and predict air pollution and noise and their impact on the environment, quality of life and health along major transport routes. These methods are adapted to the Alpine topography and its specific meteorological phenomena which often amplify the levels of concentration and noise. The purpose of the project is to promote these methods to regional and local authorities, to supplement standard methods towards more reliable predictions and scenario assessments, to quantify the limits of emissions if given air quality and noise standards are to be met, and to assess the environmental impact of traffic flow changes due to regulations, new infrastructure, or modal shifts. Previous work has shown that the conditions for the propagation of noise and the dispersion of air pollutants in Alpine valleys are quite different, and often considerably more unfavourable than in flat terrain. Standard models which are still applied in such environments, too, are not adequate. The project aims at demonstrating the advantage of more advanced methods taking into account state-of-the-art scientific tools. Keywords—Alps, valleys, air pollution, noise, road traffic, rail