Evaluating Expressway Safety Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation with AHP–Entropy Method: A Case Study of Jinliwen Expressway in Zhejiang Province, China

Abstract

To mitigate potential safety hazards during expressway operation, safety evaluation plays a crucial role. This study develops a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model to assess the safety of expressway operations. First, an expressway operation safety risk assessment index system consisting of four criteria-layer indicators and 10 sub-criteria layer indicators is established. Then, the comprehensive weight of each evaluation index is calculated based on the combined AHP and entropy methods. Finally, the expressway safety level is obtained by converting qualitative indicators into fuzzy sets and defining corresponding membership functions to describe their degree of membership. The evaluation model is applied to the Jinliwen Expressway in a mountainous area in Zhejiang Province, China. The results show that the method could quantitatively and comprehensively evaluate the safety status of expressways and identify the weak links of operational safety management, which can effectively improve the safety level of expressway operations. The research findings will assist decision-makers in gaining a better understanding of the safety issues of expressways and, thus, using corresponding measures to enhance the safety level of the expressway.

Keywords

• expressway safety
• improved AHP
• entropy method
• comprehensive evaluation