Join us for the 3rd PIARC International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety, taking place in Cracow in October 2026. The third edition of this event will explore key aspects of road tunnel planning, design, and construction, with a strong focus on safety, operation, and maintenance. 

To ensure the Conference reflects the latest developments and meets the needs of the tunnel community, we are pleased to announce the official Call for Papers.

We welcome abstract submissions from a wide range of professionals involved in any phase of the tunnel lifecycle — including representatives of road administrations, designers, researchers, engineers, contractors, suppliers, and those responsible for tunnel operation, maintenance, or safety.

Each proposed presentation should offer meaningful insights aligned with one or more of the three main thematic blocks outlined below:

1. Planning and designing.
2. Construction technologies and tunnel equipment: best practices and experiences.
3. Safety, operation, maintenance and human factors.

Each author is asked to propose the most suitable thematic block for their presentation and possibly marked in the notes whether any aspects from the other main thematic blocks will be mentioned.

We encourage participants to share their views on which solutions, requirements, equipment, and safety systems should become mandatory standards, which should remain optional, and which may prove economically unviable.

Deadline for abstract submission: by the 15th October 2025.

The extended abstract should have a length of maximum 1 000 words and could also contain figures for better illustration.

• Abstract guidelines are available here

Please note: Authors will not be required to submit a full paper.

Once accepted for presentation at the Conference, speakers will be expected to deliver a 15–20 minute talk accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation. The presentations and extended abstracts will be shared after the Conference and available to download from the PIARC website. 

Authors whose abstracts are not offered a presentation session may be offered a poster session to have the opportunity to present their topics and share their knowledge with the international tunnel community during the Conference in Cracow in October 2026.

• Download the Terms and Conditions for Submitting Abstracts

Planning Timeline:

17 July 2025: Call for abstracts site operational

15 October 2025: Deadline to submit abstracts

15 December 2025: Notice of acceptance of abstracts

20 January 2026: Newsletter nº 2, start online registration

15 June 2026: Deadline to submit full presentations/posters

30 June 2026: Definitive program published

30 July 2026: Newsletter nº 3 (includes full program)

 Download the Terms and Conditions for Submitting Abstracts