Abstract

In the last century, the migration of people from rural to urban areas of cities has generated a set of dynamics in different sectors such as social, economic, educational that have led cities to collaborate among them, generating a constant synergy in order to obtain a sustained development in multiple aspects. In this sense, Manizales as the capital of the department of Caldas in Colombia has generated a conurbation with the nearest neighboring municipality, Villamaría reaching a combined population of 419 943. Although this synergy has taken place for several decades, these municipalities only have a place of connection, because they are separated by a geographical barrier, the Chinchiná River. This connection has had clear connection problems, due to the high flow of vehicles that move between both municipalities, so it is essential to project a second connection, to further boost mobility among its inhabitants. For this reason, in this research four (4) alternatives of connection are proposed, according to the suggestions of the Manizales 2017 Mobility Master Plan, through the calculation of the global average accessibility and the quantification of the gradient of savings generated in the average times of trip, based on the current situation of both cities. The results show which is the alternative that benefits population the most in terms of travel time savings, although three of them generate considerable savings and only one is discarded because it benefits a smaller number of inhabitants in very low percentages of savings compared to the others. The evaluation of infrastructure alternatives through the gradient of savings in travel times is useful to determine the best options in the pre-feasibility phase of investment projects in the transport area.

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