For the first time in the history of the Congress, it will address three themes:

• Winter Service
• Resilience
• Decarbonisation

All three are recognised as priorities by the international road community and are cornerstones of PIARC’s current Strategic Plan. What’s more, the wide scope of our Congress demonstrates that it is relevant for all countries, irrespective of their climate conditions.

As is now customary, the 17th World Congress on Road Winter Service, Resilience and Decarbonisation will also feature the famous World Snowplough Championship with drivers from all over the world. This will be a unique and exciting opportunity for all Congress Delegates to encourage and to liaise with colleagues who are actively engaged to make sure that the roads remain in service in winter time.

This Congress is organized in close cooperation between:

• PIARC (World Road Association), responsible for the content of the programme, and
• the French Local Organizing Committee “COVH”, co-chaired by the First Delegate of France to PIARC, who is a representative of the Ministry in charge of Transport in France, and the Mayor of Chambéry and President of the Grand Chambéry conurbation authority, responsible for the practical organization of this Congress on behalf of France.

This website presents the pre-proceedings of the Congress. It contains:

• The Congress programme, including the technical programme of each session,
• Individual communications selected by the Technical Committees from among the proposals received following the Call for Communications.

We hope that this information will help you develop your own program for the Congress, and will provide you with an overview of the topics that will be presented and discussed during the various sessions

Note that the French Local Organising Committee prepared a separate official website, which contains important additional information on technical visits, accompanying persons’ programme, accommodation, etc.

• https://www.piarc-chambery2026.com/

The final proceedings will be produced after the Congress and will be made available to all registered participants. They will include all presentations used in Congress sessions, among others.

I look forward to seeing you in Chambery.

Patrick Malléjacq
Secretary General
PIARC (World Road Association)