Urban road tunnels are unique in terms of traffic characteristics (high volume, congestion during commuter periods, wide variety of vehicles, high percentage of buses, etc.), infrastructural design, difficulty of closing and urban environment. Recommendations are presented to managers and operating bodies not only for the operation of existing tunnels but also for the design, management, operation and maintenance of urban road tunnels.

The recommendations for existing tunnels are aimed at traffic control, maintenance, intervention management, communication with road users and improvement of operation.

For the design of a new urban tunnel or the refurbishment of an existing one, recommendations are presented to facilitate the management of urban traffic network, equipment reliability and durability and whole life costing.