With Road Expo Scotland returning to Glasgow later this month alongside Bridges Scotland, we take a look at some of the upcoming highlights.
Running from 26 to 27 November at the SEC Glasgow, Road Expo and Bridges Scotland are free events bringing together the road, transport, traffic and bridges industries.
Road Expo runs in partnership with Transport Scotland, and for the third successive year, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop will deliver the opening keynote address at 10:00am on Wednesday 26 November.
Gordon Kirk, sector head of transport exhibitions at the Hemming Group, said: 'We are delighted to be welcoming back our partners and exhibitors for what promises to be our most comprehensive event to date. The quality and breadth of the conference programme reflects the critical importance of sustainable infrastructure development in Scotland.'
Following Ms Hyslop, Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, will address road safety as a lifelong learning process, setting the tone for two days of cutting-edge content.
Tackling Operational Carbon
A major focus throughout this year's Road Expo programme is tackling operational carbon in Scotland's road network. The first day features a high-profile panel discussion bringing together senior figures from Transport Scotland, Amey, WSP and Kier to discuss practical approaches to reducing carbon emissions across the network, moderated by Highways Magazine editor Dominic Browne.
Matthew Eastwood, head of EV infrastructure at Transport Scotland, will present on public EV charging and electrifying Scotland's roads, whilst Aidan Conway, managing director of Thermal Road Repairs, will showcase approaches to decarbonising the asphalt industry in one of the popular 'Ten-Minute Tech' sessions.
Visitors interested in decarbonisation will also find The Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads exhibiting on the show floor, providing further resources and insights into sustainable road infrastructure.
Major Projects Update
On day two, Gemma Patterson, head of A9 Dualling Programme Delivery at Transport Scotland, will provide a keynote update on one of Scotland's largest ever transport infrastructure programmes – upgrading 83 miles of single carriageway between Perth and Inverness.
Kevin Argue, head of service for sustainable transport at Glasgow City Council, will share insights into active travel developments in Scotland's largest city, whilst Maïlys Garden, associate director at WSP Scotland and lead for Women in Transport, will address inclusive travel and women's safety.
Digital Transformation
The digital transformation of road networks features prominently in the programme. Tom Grahamslaw, associate director at WSP, will present on decoding digital roads, followed by a panel discussion exploring where the industry is heading with digital infrastructure. The panel includes Nick Murray, head of ITS systems at Transport Scotland, and will be moderated by Max Sugarman, chief executive of Intelligent Transport Systems UK.
Steve Birdsall, CEO of Gaist, will present on the Scotland National Survey, whilst Lorna Payne, business development manager at RoadTrace by AISIN, will explore how connected vehicle data can help maintain every road in Scotland.
Skills Challenge
The conference programme tackles the pressing skills challenge facing the transport sector head-on, with a dedicated panel discussion bringing together representatives from Transport Scotland, Glasgow City Council, Edinburgh Napier University, ACE and CECA Scotland. The session, titled 'Scottish Transport Skills Challenge – A Call to Action', will be moderated by Katharine Kelly, president of the Institute of Highway Engineers.
Hugh Gillies, director of roads at Transport Scotland, will join senior figures from across the sector to address this critical issue facing the industry.
Bridges Scotland: Managing Ageing Infrastructure
Running alongside Road Expo, the Bridges Scotland conference addresses the critical challenge of managing Scotland's ageing bridge stock. Sponsored by ACROW as theatre sponsor and supported by Bridge Design & Engineering magazine, the two-day programme explores innovative approaches to assessment, maintenance and asset management.
Lisa Bentley, publisher of Bridge design & engineering magazine, said: 'Scotland's bridge infrastructure faces unprecedented challenges as much of it reaches the end of its design life. The Bridges Scotland conference and exhibition provide a vital platform for professionals to share knowledge and explore innovative solutions to these pressing issues.'
Day two features a panel discussion on addressing the skills shortage, moderated by Hazel McDonald, chief bridge engineer at Transport Scotland. The panel brings together experts from Arup, Balfour Beatty, the University of Strathclyde and SCOTS to tackle this critical issue.
Ben Addy, managing director of Moxon Architects, opens the conference with an exploration of the potential for timber bridges in Scotland, whilst John Armitage, technical director at Ramboll, and Kieran O'Connor, head of structures practice at Amey, will present on the New White Cart Crossing in Paisley.
Technical sessions focus on the challenges of ageing infrastructure. Jon Shave, technical director at WSP, will address management and assessment of concrete highway bridges containing half-joints, whilst Stuart Wallace, technical director at Amey, presents on the M74 Nethan Viaduct refurbishment.
David Bishop, south east bridges manager at BEAR Scotland, will present on the Forth Road Bridge main cable internal inspection and assessment, and Colin Sangster, senior associate at Mott MacDonald, will explore how technology enables better outcomes in bridge asset management.
Brian Duguid, chair of the Net Zero Bridges Group, will present on low-carbon active travel bridges, whilst Chris Mundell, professional head of civil engineering structures and geotechnics at AtkinsRéalis, presents on National Highways Structures Moonshot.
Record Number of New Exhibitors
This year's event welcomes a record number of new exhibitors to the show floor, with Road Expo Scotland welcoming Roadside Technologies, Foamed Glass, Clearview Intelligence, MATtest Site Services, The Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads and Lochwynd, as well as Gaist Solutions and Stabilised Pavements rejoining the show.
Meanwhile, Move Solutions, LimitState, Proserve & Huesker, Goldhawk Bridge Restoration, BrandSafway and Flowtech are joining the Bridges Scotland floorplan for the first time this year.
The 2025 event benefits from platinum sponsorship, with WSP sponsoring the Road Expo Scotland Conference Theatre and ACROW sponsoring the Bridges Scotland Conference Theatre.
Association and Media Support
Both events continue to receive strong backing from across the industry including Transport Scotland's commitment as headline partner and support from leading associations such as the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland (ICE Scotland), Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), Road Safety Marking Association (RSMA), Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), The Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT), National Winter Service Research Group (NWSRG) and Scottish Roads Archive (SRA), Bridge Owners Forum (BOF) and the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC).
Both events are also proud to partner with Highways Magazine and Bridge Design & Engineering (BDE) Magazine as headline media partners.
Free Registration
The two-day event offers free registration and access to both exhibition floors and all conference sessions. CPD accreditation is available at the Institute of Highways Engineers stand for attending conference presentations.
