PIARC Tunnels Thematic Week: Exploring the future of safe and resilient road tunnels
Published on 28 September 2026
From September 28 to October 2, 2026, PIARC is putting road tunnels in the spotlight through its Tunnels Thematic Week. Throughout the week, PIARC will share expertise, publications and multimedia content highlighting the Association’s work on tunnel safety, operations, maintenance and resilience.
The week also coincides with the 3rd PIARC International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety in Krakow, Poland, from September 30 to October 2.
A reference tool: the PIARC Road Tunnels Manual
Tunnels Week is an opportunity to (re)discover the PIARC Road Tunnels Manual, an online resource bringing together PIARC’s technical knowledge and guidance on the operation and safety of road tunnels.
The Manual provides access to information and good practices developed through the international expertise of PIARC’s tunnel community. It covers key aspects of tunnel operation and management and provides a reference for professionals working with road tunnels.
>> Explore the Manual
More to discover on road tunnels
Beyond the Manual, PIARC offers a wide range of resources on tunnel safety and operations:
- Technical Committee 4.4 "Tunnels": bringing together experts from around the world to address current challenges in road tunnel operations and safety. Its work includes areas such as sustainability, active modes of transport, digitalisation and new energy carriers.
- Technical reports on road tunnels.
- Routes/Roads magazine articles dedicated to tunnels.
- International seminars on tunnels, such as the 2024 workshop in Sydney on lifecycle interventions to lift road tunnel sustainability and the 2017 seminar in Cape Town on road tunnels in low and middle-income countries.
PIARC’s work on tunnels also includes DG-QRAM, a tool supporting the quantitative risk assessment of the transport of dangerous goods through road tunnels.
Everything can be found on PIARC's Road Tunnel Operations webpage.
New Podcast Episode – "Connecting through Tunnels"
To mark the occasion, PIARC releases a new podcast episode dedicated to road tunnels, recorded ahead of the Krakow conference. Hear from leading experts:
- Mallory Trouvé, PIARC Technical Director
- Ingo Kaundinya, Chair of the Technical Committee on Tunnels
- Kate Hunt, Working Group Co-Leader of the Technical Committee on Tunnels
- Przemyslaw Padlo, Working Group Leader of the Technical Committee on Tunnels
They discuss current challenges in tunnel operations and safety, PIARC’s work through the Technical Committee on Tunnels, and expectations for the upcoming international conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety, to be held in Kraków, Poland.
Available on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
30 September – 2 October: Join us in Krakow: The 3rd International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety
From September 30 to October 2, 2026, Krakow, Poland, hosts the 3rd PIARC International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety.
Following the previous editions in Lyon (2018) and Granada (2022), experts, engineers, researchers and decision-makers will gather to share knowledge and exchange experiences on the future of tunnel safety and operations worldwide.
Bulletin 3 is now available, with programme highlights and practical information.
Visit the official conference website for more details.
Follow the week online
Join us on PIARC's social media channels for daily highlights, expert insights and conference updates.
Discover PIARC’s knowledge and expertise on road tunnel safety and operations throughout the Tunnels Thematic Week.
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