PIARC celebrates World Road Day on 11 October
Published on 11 October 2026
World Road Day will be celebrated on 11 October, highlighting the importance of roads and road transport, as well as the role of cooperation and knowledge sharing in the development of the sector.
The choice of 11 October has a special significance for PIARC. On this date in 1908, the First World Road Congress was inaugurated in Paris. The event brought together more than 2,000 participants from 28 countries and marked the beginning of a long tradition of international cooperation in the field of roads.
Since then, the World Road Congresses have been held every four years, providing an international meeting place for administrations, experts, professionals and organisations in the sector. These events provide opportunities to share experience, discuss the main challenges facing road transport, and exchange knowledge and best practices.
More than a century after that first Congress, World Road Day provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of having safe, resilient, sustainable and efficient road networks, as well as to recognise the work of all the professionals involved in their planning, construction, maintenance, management and operation.
Cooperation and knowledge sharing
The celebration of World Road Day is closely linked to the mission of PIARC, the World Road Association, and to the principles that have guided the organisation since its creation.
PIARC provides an international forum for the analysis and discussion of issues relating to roads and road transport. The Association works to identify, develop and disseminate best practices, facilitate access to international knowledge, and take into account the specific needs of developing countries and countries in transition.
Through its technical committees, working groups, congresses and publications, PIARC promotes the exchange of experience among its members and contributes to the development of tools and knowledge to support informed decision-making in the road sector.
This work is based on values such as openness, objectivity and impartiality, as well as a commitment to sustainable solutions, diversity and international cooperation.
World Road Day is therefore an opportunity to recall that cooperation and knowledge sharing are essential to addressing the present and future challenges facing the road sector.
PIARC invites all its members, partners and road professionals to celebrate 11 October and to continue contributing, through cooperation and knowledge sharing, to the development of increasingly safe, sustainable and resilient roads.
Happy World Road Day!