Multi-hazard resilience assessment of road networks: the case study of the municipality of Messina

Road networks are the primary way of transportation for people and goods in most countries. Beyond their daily function, specific elements of the network are crucial for emergency operations during disruptive events and natural disasters. In this study, a methodology is proposed to identify road sections exposed to earthquakes, landslides, floods, and tsunamis, and to evaluate how their failures can impact the functionality and global efficiency of road networks. The hazard associated with individual threats is calculated using distinct Geographic Information System-based methods, followed by multi-hazard assessment through multi-criteria evaluation techniques. These results are combined with complex network analyses to evaluate road network global efficiency under targeted failure scenarios, yielding a criticality score for each road section. As a case study, the proposed methodology is applied to the road network of Messina, Italy. The findings support data-driven decision-making in road management, optimizing maintenance prioritization in terms of budget allocation and scheduling.