Road owners getting to grips with climate change

TRL is participating in an international conference this weekend, when experts from across the globe gather to discuss how to overcome the impacts of bad weather related to climate change.

The ERA-NET conference - Road Owners Getting To Grips With Climate Change - takes place in Cologne, Germany, and is based on a joint research programme in which 11 national road administrations participated.

The research will result in a series of reports that focus on different aspects of climate change and its effects on the management of national road networks that can be applied across Europe.

Climate change may result in more frequent and unpredictable intense rainfall, more variable winters and warmer summers, with increases in wind speed and storm frequency.

Road authorities need to evaluate the effect of climate change on the road network and take remedial action through all aspects of road management including design, construction and maintenance. At the same time, consideration must be given to safety and accessibility to ensure that users' expectations are not compromised.

The research programme is aimed at providing road authorities with the knowledge and tools necessary to ‘get to grips’ with climate change and its effects on all elements of road management, by adapting design rules, updating and improving data collection, and developing risk management methods.