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NEWSLETTER
May 2025

Our Newsletter is published in English, French and Spanish.

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EDITORIAL
PIARC PUBLICATIONS
HIGHLIGHTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
#PIARC ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

EDITORIAL

An Active Spring

Our readers in the Southern Hemisphere will forgive me for referring to the spring season even as winter approaches for them, but it must be said that the warmer months, at the latitude of Paris, are more conducive to activity and travel. And there has certainly been no shortage of that.

Since early May, PIARC has organized or co-organized several events: a seminar on resilient pavements in Tunis (TC 4.1); a seminar on roads as catalysts for sustainable and inclusive development in Guadalajara, Mexico (TC 1.2 and 1.3); an international conference on the decarbonization of the road sector in Vienna, Austria (TC 3.5 and 4.5);

>> Read the full editorial

Robin SEBILLE
PIARC Deputy Secretary General

PIARC PUBLICATIONS

Technical Report

Low-Cost Pavement Systems 

This report examines cost-effective pavement solutions using real-world examples. It outlines a flexible approach to reduce construction and maintenance costs while ensuring performance, with a focus on strength, durability, and lifecycle cost. It covers various pavement types, from earth roads to paved surfaces, and highlights sustainability, innovation, and material efficiency.

>> Read the Technical Report here

A manual for practitioners and decision-makers on implementing Safe System infrastructure

4th edition of the PIARC Road Safety Manual (RSM) is available online 

The updated PIARC RSM is now online! It supports countries in improving road safety through the Safe System approach. This edition features revised chapters, updated reference materials, six technical studies, five technical sheets, and new web-based calculators. The USA and Canada provided funding and technical contributions to this project.

>> Consult the new version of the PIARC Road Safety Manuel now

HIGHLIGHTS

Get Ready for the 17th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress! 

The Congress will take place in Chambéry, France, on March 10–13, 2026. For four days, experts, decision-makers, and industry professionals will explore key challenges and innovations in road infrastructure.

Chambéry, France, 10-13 March, 2026

While registration isn’t open yet, you can already check the rates and book your accommodation. Chambéry is a popular destination, so we strongly encourage early hotel reservations to stay close to the venue (Savoiexpo).

Call for papers – a new record!

With over 430 abstracts submitted from around the world, Chambéry sets a new record, surpassing both Calgary and Gdansk. Thank you for your outstanding engagement!

Interested in becoming an exhibitor – whether as a country, private company, academic institution, or other organization? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Stay tuned for Newsletter #2 and more updates coming soon on the Congress website!

New Podcast Episode – Tackling Decarbonisation in the Road Sector

In the 2nd episode of the PIARC podcast series, host Nadia Lappa (Technical Advisor for Decarbonisation) dives into the topic with PIARC leading experts - Fabio Pasquali (Strategic Theme Coordinator for Decarbonisation) and Jan Pettersson (Chair of the Technical Committee 3.5) - to unpack one of the most urgent issues facing the transport sector. 

This conversation explores how countries are tackling the transition to net zero, the role of international collaboration, emerging technologies like Electric Road Systems, and what’s needed to turn bold climate commitments into real-world impact. Tune in to learn more! 

The podcast is available on several platforms: YouTube (with video and subtitles in English; French and Spanish coming soon), SpotifyApple Podcast and Amazon Music.

Share your ideas to decarbonise roads and achieve carbon neutrality 

PIARC invites you to take part in two new surveys on road decarbonisation and carbon neutrality. Your input will help shape future strategies and innovations.

PIARC surveys from TC 3.5 and 4.5 

>> Take part in both surveys until 7 July 2025

PIARC Activities – May 2025 in a nutshell

In May 2025, PIARC led and participated in numerous events around the world, advancing global priorities such as road safety, rural mobility, tunnel technology, environmental sustainability, and disaster risk management. Highlights include:

  • International Conferences and Seminars held in Austria, Senegal, China, and Japan addressed topics like infrastructure decarbonisation, sustainable mobility in rural areas, smart tunnel technologies, and road disaster management.
  • A dedicated workshop on disaster management took place on May 27 in Osaka, emphasizing enhanced coordination, cooperation, and diversity in managing road-related disasters.
  • Numerous Technical Committee meetings were conducted in Mexico, Mozambique, Austria, Senegal, China, and Japan. These sessions, reserved for PIARC members, focused on areas such as economic development, freight transport, risk management, climate resilience, and sustainable road construction.

PIARC was also present at major international events:

 – ITF Summit, Leipzig, Germany (May 21–23)

 – ASECAP Days 2025, Madrid, Spain (May 26–28)

These global events fostered international collaboration and knowledge sharing, contributing to the development of more resilient, equitable, and sustainable road networks worldwide.

>> We invite you to consult the page dedicated to the Proceedings of International Seminars and Workshops organised by PIARC during its main work cycles.

For First Delegates only – Summary of Recent Communications and Deadlines

We invite the First Delegates of PIARC to take note of the correspondence sent to their email addresses from PIARC General Secretariat (gen-sec-piarc@piarc.org) with respect to the following topics: 

  • Search for sponsors for the awards in Chambéry (Invitation sent on: 15 April; Deadline: June 1)
  • Search for the next Secretary General (Invitation sent on: 12 May; Deadline: June 20)
  • Applications for honorary members (Invitation sent on: 05 May; Reminder Deadline: June 21)
  • Survey by the Road Statistics Committee (Invitation sent on: 14 May; Deadline: 30 June)

Your attention and timely response to these matters is appreciated.

New Publication – Historical Review of Mobility in Ecuador

The PIARC National Committee of Ecuador presents “Reseña Histórica de la Movilidad en el Ecuador”, a new publication by civil engineer Milton Rodrigo Torres Espinoza, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian Society of Transportation Engineering and PIARC.

This work offers a specialized perspective on the evolution of mobility in Ecuador.

>> To obtain a free copy, contact the secretariats of the Provincial Colleges of Civil Engineers in Ecuador

Publication by Milton Rodrigo Torres Espinoza

Make your voice heard on infrastructure resilience 

PIARC Members are invited to take part in the Global Infrastructure Resilience Survey led by CDRI and ICSI.

The survey collects insights from professionals across sectors and regions to identify best practices and inform future policy. Although not road-specific, your participation ensures the road sector is well represented.

Takes just 10 minutes – available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese: 

>> Take the survey now

Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2026: call for abstracts 

Submit your innovative transport research to TRA Visions 2026, Europe’s top transport research event.

  • Abstract deadline: 15 June 2025
  • Categories include: Young & Senior Researcher Awards, Host Award ("Re-Generation in Transport"), and more.

Budapest, Hungary, 18-21 May 2026

Finalists will be invited to submit a full paper by 15 September 2025.

Submit your abstract

For more information on the TRA Conference, visit the website

UPCOMING EVENTS

Meeting of the Technical Committee 4.6 "Road Design Standards" (Reserved to TC 4.6 members only)

June 12,
Atlanta (United States)

Meeting of the Technical Committee 2.4 "Road Network Operations and ITS for Sustainability" (Reserved to TC 2.4 members only)

July 03-04,
Athens (Greece)

Find all the events in the calendar 

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