Route Selection Using Geographical Information Systems, Remote Sensing and Analytical Hierarchical Process Techniques: Jos – Abuja Route

Résumé

Route selection is an important aspect of road planning, engineering and construction. It highlights the
sections of non-homogeneous space that should be considered for selection of least-cost route. Traditional
methods that use paper topographic maps, and analog aerial photographs are manual and therefore
tedious, laborious and inefficient, requiring long periods of time and consideration of only limited number
of criteria at a time. Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing techniques, using Analytical
Hierarchical Process (AHP), have the capabilities to transform the route planning and selection process
considerably. They allow for the consideration of multiple criteria simultaneously and produce results that
are significantly better than the manual methods, all within remarkably shorter periods of time. These
techniques are greatly more efficient, reliable and productive. This paper demonstrates the efficacy of GIS
and RS methods, coupled with AHP to select a new optimal (least-cost) route between the cities of Jos and
Abuja, Nigeria.