# Impact of Mining Disturbance on Highway Sustainability:
###### Abstract
These measurements were crucial in assessing potential risks to surface infrastructure, particularly railways and highways [22; 23]. This effort, combined with theoretical advancements, facilitated the development science, of mining technology and engineering practices to mitigate surface damage [24; 25; 26]. Over the past six decades, extensive research on subsidence-related displacement of undermined terrain has been conducted worldwide, spanning countries such as France, England, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia. These studies have led to the development of various subsidence prediction methods based on different initial assumptions. These methods are generally classified into profile function methods, influence function methods, empirical methods, physical modeling, and numerical modeling [27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37]. In the USA, subsidence research began in the late 1970s, initially relying on European methodologies [38]. However, it became evident that subsidence parameters in American coalfields differed from those in Europe [2; 39; 40; 41; 42]. Over the past five decades, more than 600 longwall panels have been excavated in Pennsylvania, with 25 of them undermining international highways. This has resulted in safety hazards such as road and bridge cracking, compression bulging, and damage to underground sewers [43]. Despite extensive research on mine-induced land subsidence, the effects of undermining on highways have not been sufficiently studied or fully understood [44; 45]. However, optimizing highway routes by considering subsidence-related factors can reduce damage and mitigate critical impact zones within subsidence troughs [46]. Risk assessment for potential damage to the land surface and existing infrastructure prior to underground coal exploitation relies on theoretical calculations. Thanks to ongoing improvements in these calculations and the development of specialized software programs such as SDPS and CISPM, it is now possible to predict land subsidence, deformations, and the effects of mining operations on the surface with greater reliability [35; 47; 48]. By making rational predictions and assessments, mining operations can implement appropriate strategies to minimize the effects of subsidence on surface infrastructure and ecosystems. This holds significant academic and practical value for promoting environmentally friendly and safe mining practices [49]. Mitigating subsidence-induced disturbances requires systematic measures based on precise subsidence predictions, which are essential for effective mitigation. The accuracy of subsidence prediction methods depends on the mathematical models and empirical formulas used to estimate subsidence parameters, which are derived from fieldwork. The results of these prognoses, stored in a database, can be presented and analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) [35; 48; 50; 51; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58]. Modern land subsidence monitoring employs advanced geospatial technologies such as InSAR [59; 60], aerial photogrammetry [61], remote sensing [62; 63; 64], GeoSLAM-based mobile laser scanning systems supported by GNSS [65; 66], and TLS [67; 68]. These technologies enable rapid mapping and monitoring of surface subsidence and deformations over large areas, generating precise 3D models of scanned regions. Land subsidence due to coal excavation and the associated structural damage have become increasingly serious issues in Serbian underground coal mines over the past century. In some mines, protective pillars were excavated beneath less critical structures with higher allowable deformations, such as roads, railways, small streams, and agricultural settlements.