In this study we analyze the impact of road network extensions on economic development for a panel of industries in a set of Brazilian states observed over the period 2005–2015. We identify the effects of extending the road network using a differences-in-differences research design, where each industry exposure to road network depends on its reliance on transport services. Our main results suggest a positive causal impact of road network expansions on value added. We also find that the economic effects of road network expansions are larger in those states that are more distant from a major seaport and that positive regional spillovers occurred. An extensive set of robustness checks confirms our main findings.

在这项研究中，我们分析了 2005 年至 2015 年期间观察到的巴西一组州的一组行业的道路网络扩展对经济发展的影响。我们使用差异中的差异研究设计确定扩展道路网络的影响，其中每个行业对道路网络的影响取决于其对运输服务的依赖。我们的主要结果表明，道路网络扩张对附加值产生了积极的因果影响。我们还发现，在那些离主要海港更远的州，公路网络扩张的经济影响更大，并且发生了积极的区域溢出。一系列广泛的稳健性检查证实了我们的主要发现。