The evolution of a mountain road network from the original war-use to the forest one and its current management

In some mountain areas located in Northeast Italy the present forest road network has been partially developed using the previous military road network built during the First World War (1st WW). The current management of the forest areas considers road network essential to provide access for the forest operations but also to increase the value of recreation activities and historical tourism regarding the heritage value of the areas. The aim of the study was to investigate the technical evolution of a mountainous road network for forest operation and forest activities from the beginning of the last century to present. The research consisted of preliminary reconnaissance of the original road network using the 1 st WW military maps, a further reconnaissance using the technical maps dated to the 60’s of the last century and the survey of the current road network through GPS. Furthermore the study aimed to evaluate the current condition of the original road network according to its current use in order to highlight the influence between the building standards of the roads and the evolution in terms of transportation system and traffic management.