Valerann has been named one of three nominees in the Technology category for the 2025 European Commission Excellence in Road Safety Awards, as announced by the European Commission Road Safety Chapter. This nomination recognises Valerann’s work with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for advancing road safety through the use of data and data analytics for incident detection.

The European Road Safety Charter, supported by the European Commission, annually highlights exemplary initiatives from across Europe that contribute to the shared goal of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. This year’s theme focuses on collaboration, innovation, and the power of data, making our nomination particularly meaningful.

The winners will be announced on 16 October.

TRL, in partnership with the World Bank, is proud to announce the next-generation Highway Development and Management Model (HDM-5), a vital upgrade to the world’s most widely adopted tool for road transport planning and investment evaluation.

Since its inception in 1968, HDM has been a cornerstone analytical framework, supporting over 1,500 organisations across 100 countries. Used by governments, research institutions, and multilateral development banks (MDBs), HDM provides essential tools for economic evaluation, investment planning, maintenance prioritisation, and strategic network analysis. Financial institutions including the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) require HDM compliance as a prerequisite for funding transport infrastructure projects.

Responding to a Changing World

Despite HDM’s proven legacy, the past two decades have ushered in transformative changes in vehicle technology, pavement design, climate resilience, and road safety. These emerging challenges demand a fresh approach. The development of HDM-5 officially commenced June 2025, with a release targeted for 2027.

HDM-5 is not an update, it’s a reinvention. The new platform is being conceived as a cloud-native, modular, and web-based system delivered through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. This will ensure enhanced scalability, flexibility, and ease of use across a wide range of stakeholders. HDM-5 will also include integrated tools for assessing climate resilience and estimating carbon emissions, alongside advanced functionality to evaluate road safety impacts. By embedding these capabilities within a modern, intuitive digital framework, HDM-5 is poised to support smarter, more sustainable, and forward-looking transport decisions.

Subu Kamal, Head of Product, TRL Software:

“Our vision for HDM-5 is to transform it into a dynamic and accessible platform that empowers decision-makers across the globe. By embedding sustainability, safety, and digital flexibility at its core, we’re creating a tool that truly meets the transport challenges of tomorrow delivered with the usability and scalability expected of modern software.”

TRL’s Leadership and Commitment

As a founding research institution of HDM with over six decades of engagement, TRL is uniquely positioned to co-develop HDM-5. TRL is a leading organisation in transport software, innovation, and research, with deep expertise in transport systems modelling, software engineering, user-centred design, and global technical support. Our involvement ensures that HDM-5 will not only be technically robust and economically rigorous, but also sustainable, future-ready, and user-friendly.

Binyam Reja, Global Practice Manager, Transport Global Unit, World Bank said: “The development of HDM-5 marks a major step forward in how we support countries to plan, prioritize, and finance road investments. This initiative reflects our commitment to integrating climate resilience, road safety, and sustainability into infrastructure decision making. We are pleased to partner with TRL whose legacy and technical leadership have shaped HDM from the beginning to bring this next-generation global public good to life.”

Wenxin Qiao Senior Transport Specialist and Global Lead for Technology and Innovation, Transport Global Unit, World Bank said:  “The development of HDM-5 is a collaborative effort to address the increasing complexity of transport infrastructure decision-making. It is designed to provide users with a technically robust, consistent, and adaptable platform for evaluating the costs, benefits, and long-term performance of road investments. In close partnership with TRL, we are committed to ensuring that this new HDM-5 model reflects practical realities and delivers value to both technical practitioners and policymakers, driving lasting impact.”

Global Collaboration for a Global Solution

A steering committee chaired by the World Bank, comprising key partners such as PIARC, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), ADB, IsDB, and EIB, is guiding HDM-5’s development. The initiative is further supported by a technical committee and funded through contributions from GRSF, GFDRR, QII, and GFDT. Collaborative work with leading academic and research institutions has already advanced critical components such as gap analysis, functional updates, and modelling enhancements.

PE “Roads of Serbia” continues to pave new kilometres of modern infrastructure – a symbol of progress, connectivity, and development.

The newest section of the E763 motorway from Preljina to Požega represents another important step towards faster, safer, and more efficient traffic, contributing to better connectivity between different regions of Serbia, as well as the integration of transport flows with neighbouring countries.

The section from Preljina to Požega, 30.96 km long, connects to the already built Miloš Veliki motorway, which is operating in full profile from Surčin to Preljina with associated facilities, interchanges, tunnels and bridges. A well-known fact about this section is that it passes through very difficult geographical terrain, where a total of three tunnels were built: Trbušani, Laz and Munjino Brdo. All of the tunnels are designed with two separate tunnel tubes, each for one traffic direction.

The lengths of the tunnel tubes of the Trbušani tunnel are approximately 300 m. The lengths of the tunnel tubes of the Laz tunnel are approximately 2,700 m and 2,900 m (the length of the left tube along the axis is 2,842.57 m, and the length of the right tube is 2,662.33 m). The axial distance of the tunnel tubes is from a minimum of 35 m to a maximum of 55 m.

A third of the tunnels’ length has been designed with connecting corridors for vehicles to pass from one tunnel tube to another, with emergency niches, as well as 9 pedestrian transverse connecting corridors at prescribed distances, which enable safe evacuation in incident situations. In the middle part of this transverse corridor for vehicle passage, a space has been reserved for a power substation.
Space for the accommodation of various electrical and telecommunications installations has been provided under pedestrian paths on both sides of the carriageway. The lengths of the left and right tunnel tubes of the Munjino Brdo tunnel are on average 2,750 m, the left tube 2,755.75 m, while the right tube is slightly shorter, with a length of 2,740.14 m. The Munjino Brdo tunnel is designed with two tunnel tubes, one for each direction of traffic, i.e. one-way traffic with two lanes takes place through each tunnel tube. The width of the carriageway in the tunnel is 7.70 m. The axle spacing of the tunnel tubes is about 30 m. The height of the traffic profile is H=4.75 m.

Official pedestrian paths are designed on both sides of the carriageway 1.19 m–1.24 m wide. Below them is space for accommodating various electrical and telecommunication installations.
Transverse pedestrian passages for crossing from one tube to the other in the event of an emergency in the tunnel are designed to be able to support even emergency vehicles and are located at a distance of 220–280 m.
Two extensions have been designed for each tunnel tube to remove broken down vehicles – emergency niches.
The vehicle transverse passages for passing from one tube to the other are part of the Munjino Brdo tunnel, designed at a distance of 1,000 to 1,006 m in the longitudinal direction. The Laz and Munjino Brdo tunnels are currently the longest road tunnels in Serbia.

All tunnels on the state roads of I A category have built-in smart lighting systems, variable traffic signals and video surveillance, while those longer than 500 metres have all the necessary security systems for reporting and detecting fires, an air quality control system, ventilation and smoke extraction in tunnels, a hydrant network for extinguishing fires, a public address system for transmitting messages to users, SOS telephones, and FE devices.

Supervision and management of the facilities is carried out 24/7 from the operational control centres according to clearly defined emergency response procedures.
The entire project includes 35 bridges with a total length of 5,196 m, 4 overpasses with a total length of 592 m (3 bridges on local roads after descending from graded intersections total length 180 m), as well as 4 overpasses within graded intersections (total length 1,075 m), as follows:

• 13 bridges are over 100 m long, and the longest bridge is 478 m,
• 6 bridges are 25–100 m long,
• 16 single-span bridges are 10–25 m long.

The bridge over the West Morava is unique compared to the others, because it spans the river with a span of 80 m, and its total length is 330 m.
1,912,000 m³ of embankment and three complete traffic loops were built, which will allow the existing bypass around Čačak to be relieved.
In the first part of the section from the existing toll station Preljina to Pakovraće, which is 14.3 km long, the relocation of electrical, telecommunications, water and gas installations was carried out in a total of 73 places.

PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE:

The E-763 Belgrade–South Adriatic motorway serves as a vital link between Serbia and Montenegro, connecting Belgrade with the South Adriatic region.
On a broader scale, it will improve connectivity between Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Italy.
In Požega, a traffic junction is planned to be built, where a section of the motorway branches off to Kotroman and the border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Preljina–Požega section of the E-763 motorway project is located in the southern part of the E-763 motorway in Serbia.
It is a motorway with a total of four lanes and a design speed of up to 120 km/h. The project has been recognised as the most challenging section to construct on the entire E-763 motorway.

NTRO, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads(TMR) and Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) have teamed up to win a prestigious International Road Federation award at the annual IRF Awards in Athens.

MRWA, TMR and NTRO’s joint project The impact of bushfire on infrastructure and a framework to incorporate bushfire resilience in road design won the IRF’s Emergency and Disaster Response Management Award. 

NTRO Sustainability and Materials Performance national leader and IRF Board Member Dr Clarissa Han accepted the award at the presentation in Athens on the entire team’s behalf. 

This framework was developed through NTRO’s collaborative research programs with MRWA (the Western Australian Road Research and Innovation Program – WARRIP) and TMR (the National Asset Centre of Excellence –NACOE).

The new Greek Road Traffic Code (voted on 13 June 2025), introduces city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all urban streets of one or two directions with a single lane per direction (in force from 1 January 2026), making Greece the second EU country after Spain to implement such a measure. A bold move of the Greek Government towards a new road safety culture, with a brand-new Road Traffic Code with the active contribution of National Technical University of Athens.

The New Road Traffic Code is rationalising and simplifying penalties and linking them to the offences’ seriousness and magnitude. It also quite rightly refers to punishing drivers instead of vehicles and to further punishing recidivists. In addition, it introduces a number of correct and necessary traffic management provisions with emphasis on motorcycles (filtering & advance stopping zone at traffic lights) and the 30km/h speed limit in cities.

For the effective implementation of the new Road Traffic Code, necessary accompanying measures have been foreseen in order to reduce the human intervention that currently delays and ultimately renders the penalty system ineffective. These measures concern the introduction of more than 4.000 cameras for the certification of fines for all basic offences (i.e. speeding, helmet, seat-belt, mobile phone use) which is now possible by the new technologies and in parallel the new digital management of fines with the interconnection of the systems of Traffic Police, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Taxes Authority.

The provision for a 30km/h speed limit on all roads of one or two directions with one lane in each direction in all urban areas was a bold and very good choice, giving the right message that lower speeds lead to fewer and less serious road crashes. It is expected to bring spectacular results and it is estimated that more than 100 lives will be saved annually in Greece, especially motorcyclists, who are the major problem in Greece, but also pedestrians. City-wide 30km/h speed limit is the since-long waited single road safety measure with such significant benefits at such a low cost and with such a small change in our habits. In fact, it is more than a simple new traffic rule, it is a catalyser for a new safe mobility culture.

National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) scientific support and campaign

NTUA played an important role in the development of this new Greek Road Traffic Code during the last five years; not only by introducing all key priorities at the National Road Safety Strategic Plan (prepared and substantiated by the NTUA Research team in 2022) but also by providing systematically scientific expertise and supporting evidence-based decisions at all stages of the new Road Traffic Code development.

Furthermore, Professor George Yannis and his research team carried a global awareness campaign, which was a catalyser for convincing the Greek Government and contributed largely to decisions on the new Greek Road Traffic Code, by running 30 Marathons in 30 months in order to actively promote the adoption of city-wide 30km/h speed limit worldwide, as a key policy for safer, healthier and greener cities. This campaign was concluded in November 2024 in Athens (all Marathons in under 4 hours) with a particularly significant global impact through extensive media outreach in 25 major European cities, including press, tv and radio coverage and a highly effective social media presence that achieved significant reach and engagement in terms of views and likes. It has attracted over 500,000 pageviews annually and reached an audience of more than 150,000 through social media, with 50 dedicated posts and over 200 reposts by scientific Organisations and Institutions, generating 80,000+ impressions. 

All media interventions are available at: https://georgeruns30x30.com/media

The campaign’s impact was further substantiated through the first-ever two high-quality scientific review papers, with meta-analyses of implementation and effectiveness of city-wide 30 km/h schemes in several European cities, which are now cited largely worldwide:

– Simulation studies

– Implementation results

Time for action at European level for Safer and Smarter Cities

Speeding, as the key factor for road crashes, must be recognized as a major societal health issue for which action is needed at EU level, as is the case with smoking and alcohol consumption. Consequently, the European Union should set the maximum speed limits in all urban roads in Europe, and national and local Authorities can only make the necessary adjustments of lower speed limits after specific studies. Given its unprecedented benefits, the city-wide 30km/h speed limits should become a European rule (of course with the exception of selected main axes e.g. roads with a median), with the EU assuming thus its fundamental role of protecting its citizens’ lives.

Anaheim, CA, July 01, 2025 – Econolite, a trusted leader in intelligent traffic management solutions and part of Umovity, announced today that it has received the prestigious International Road Federation (IRF) Award (IRF2025). The recently introduced Autoscope^® OptiVu HD video detection solution was recognized for its technological innovation in the IRF Award’s Traffic Management and IT category. Mogens Abel-Bache, CTO of Umovity, received the award during the International Symposium “Navigating the Future of Traffic Management” held in Athens, Greece, on June 30.

“We are thrilled and extremely honored to receive the IRF2025 award,” said Christian U. Haas, CEO of Umovity. “Being acknowledged by the IRF for our newly introduced Autoscope OptiVu sensor solution validates our commitment to providing innovations that empower cities to deliver more sustainable, safer, and accessible mobility. I also want to congratulate all the IRF2025 Award winners; it’s a privilege to be part of such an important global program.”

The IRF Awards exemplify the commitment toward fostering innovation, sustainability, and safety in road development. It distinguishes outstanding projects, initiatives, and tools that have achieved remarkable outcomes in the transportation and mobility sectors. The IRF Awards celebrate the relentless dedication and ingenuity of the industry, whose contributions are driving meaningful progress in mobility worldwide.

The Traffic Management and ITS award category celebrates innovations in traffic management and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that enhance mobility, efficiency, and safety on the roadways. It recognizes technologies, strategies, and practices that optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve the overall performance of transportation systems and quality of service for all roadway users.

About Econolite – part of Umovity

Econolite is the North American market leader in intelligent traffic management solutions with over 92 years of experience. Econolite has provided more than 160,000 detection sensors deployed at over 60,000 intersections. Its leading traffic management software has been installed by more than 500 agencies across North America. Econolite prides itself on being the leading One-Stop-Shop provider of traffic management solutions, including Cabinets, Controllers, Software, Sensors, and Professional Services. With nearly 800 employees primarily in North America, Econolite drives innovation in traffic management and safety solutions, including connected and automated vehicles research and development. In June 2022, Bridgepoint acquired a majority stake in Econolite, and together with PTV Group, a dynamic partnership was formed. Since 2023, Econolite and PTV Group are united under the brand Umovity.

For more information, visit www.econolite.com.

On 26 June 2025, our collaboration between UNESCAP, iRAP, EASST and the International Road Federation (IRF) to review and improve local road geometrical design standards for safer and more inclusive roads across Central Asia drew to a close with a final workshop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The event also marked the launch of a new suite of road safety design guidance for road infrastructure designers across Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Over the past 18  months, since the project’s launch in March 2024, partners have carried out a stepped process including kick‑off missions to each pilot country, a stakeholder consultation in Tashkent in November 2024, a three‑session technical training series for 70 engineers and practitioners in May 2025, and preparatory workshops that informed the suite of guidance now being released.

The concluding workshop in Tashkent on 26 June was opened by the Deputy Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Mr Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, both of whom celebrated the creation of the new resource package, which includes:

• A full project report of our approach and methodology, including details of existing GOST-SNiP design standards in each country.
• Results of iRAP star rating assessments at standard cross sections in the region.
• Tailored road safety design guidance, based on international best practice, for each pilot country (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan).
• Safer road design guidance graphics.

The guidance has been developed in close cooperation with national stakeholders and with input from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and

Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) – with financial support provided by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). The aim of these resources is not to replace existing standards but to supplement them and offer valuable guidance to road engineers and other stakeholders on how to incorporate evidence-based safety measures derived from international best practice into future road projects. 

In particular, the guidance emphasises the importance of early intervention into the project planning process, especially during feasibility studies, to reduce the risks that can lead to serious crashes, injuries, and deaths. It promotes a Safe System Approach, which recognises that road users, as human beings, can make mistakes, and that those mistakes should not cost lives or result in serious injury. The approach calls for road design that mitigates risk, especially for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and children.

Safe road design is not only lifesaving but also cost-effective. It helps to avoid the economic losses incurred by countries due to road crashes with early intervention also serving as a mechanism to avoid costly mistakes in the road development process. The guidance for each country covers key areas including: a review of existing national standards; practical design solutions based on road safety design principles such as lower speeds and forgiving infrastructure; detailed guidance on specific design elements and the role they play in mitigating risk; and why consultation and stakeholder engagement is a vital part of the design process. 

Speaking at the workshop, Julio Urzua, iRAP’s Strategic Projects Director said, “One of the most important aspects of the project has been its collaborative approach, as the focus has been on three countries that use the GOST-SNiP design standards in Central Asia. As a result of the project, those countries now have a Road Safety Design Guidance, which will help road designers to improve the safety conditions of the road designs. In addition to this Guidance, the project produced an iRAP tar Rating Assessment Results of Standard Cross Sections, which will be a very valuable document for those designers who want to assess the risk of death and serious injury in the current design standards using the iRAP methodology of Star Ratings, based on the features of the road and the degree to which they impact on the likelihood and severity of crashes.”

Julia Funk, Programme Manager and Head of Statistics at the IRF commented, “At the International Road Federation, we believe that no one should lose their life or health due to preventable road design flaws. This project reinforces our commitment to advancing safer infrastructure by supporting countries to integrate evidence-based, people-centred design into national practices. The resources developed are the result of genuine collaboration and mark a concrete step toward making roads across Central Asia safer and more inclusive.”

While Emma MacLennan, Director General of EASST said, “Improving road engineering design standards is not just a paper exercise. Across all three pilot projects EASST and our local partners have implemented pilot pedestrian infrastructure upgrades with tremendous impact – including huge reductions in road crashes. These interventions really do save lives and make cities more liveable. Now, with the new guidance being launched today, we look forward to seeing these small pilots become the norm. The guides we have produced are practical and user-friendly, designed to sit alongside existing standards. Road engineers and designers should take these guides as a fundamental resource on which all design decisions are based. If this happens, we will have succeeded.”

By implementing and updating national road design standards in line with international standards such as the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and CAREC’s Safely Connected: A Regional Road Safety Strategy, our aim is to minimise road traffic fatalities and injuries through safer road infrastructure. And we hope that the pilots in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan that have been a focus of this project will scale up to have CAREC-wide implications. 

The issue of safety, as well as the ability to ensure the accessibility of the road for all users, including motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and people with limited mobility, should be prioritised during the design of new roads and existing road upgrades. Stakeholder engagement, integration of international safety measures and capacity building activities will support the effective implementation of updated standards and result in continued improvement of road infrastructure planning and design in Central Asia.

To download the Resource Package in English and Russian, visit https://www.gtkp.com/themepage/road-safety/safe-and-inclusive-road-designs-in-central-asia/