This thesis attempts to detect functional relationships between the level of service of the motorways and dual carriageways and the growth of socio-economic parameters. All used socio-economic data is collected in the territorial entity "municipal district". The investigation area is the Austrian "Landerregion Ost", comprising the provinces Lower Austria, Burgenland and the capital Vienna. Analysis point out, that nowadays a newly built motorway can no longer be expected to enhance economic performance measured by the number of firms or employment possibilities of remotely situated, connected municipalities. Development of the time series of socio-economic parameters of municipalities is stronger influenced by the spatial proximity to agglomerations than by the proximity to motorway-or dual carriageway-junctions. Municipalities that are situated in the neighbourhood of the capital Vienna have a conspicuous percentually growth of inhabitants, employees and firms, even if they are not directly situated at junctions of motorways or dual carriageways. Methodically, this thesis uses the techniques of exploratory spatial data analysis. Results were calculated by application of a spatial regression analysis and verified by the use of "local indicators of spatial association" (LISA) to avoid regional misinterpretation.