RoadWatch: Roundup
September 2025
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for September. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Supporting risk-informed decision making for heavy vehicle access on bridges
A new engineering framework aims to help practitioners make sound, risk-informed decisions when assessing bridges for heavy vehicle access. Focused on real-world bridge performance, the new Austroads guideline supports road agencies and assessors in addressing discrepancies between conventional assessment results and in-service behaviour, providing a richer basis for managing uncertainty and supporting evidence-based judgment and decision making.
'Bridges that do not meet the current design codes may still safely carry heavy vehicles if assessed with a comprehensive, risk-based approach,' said Ross Guppy, Austroads’ Transport Infrastructure Program Manager. 'This guideline helps road agencies balance risk with productivity by distinguishing between structural assessment and access management, enabling more tailored and effective decisions.'
By considering updated material properties, improved structural analysis techniques, and field evidence, the guideline enables a more nuanced understanding of bridge reliability and structural performance, particularly for bridges showing no signs of damage, distress, or deterioration. The guideline provides targeted advice and practical techniques to effectively manage heavy vehicle access to support transport productivity while addressing risk.
Read more | Download the Guideline | Register for the webinar
Join us for the webinar on Thursday, 23 October at 1:00 pm AEST to learn more about the Guideline's contents and the decision-making framework. No charge, but registration is essential.
Key insights released to help agencies trial and implement mobile point-to-point speed cameras
Mobile point-to-point (MP2P) speed cameras – which measure average speed between two points using portable trailer or vehicle-mounted units – could significantly improve road safety by reducing dangerous driving behaviours and expanding coverage on high-speed and hard-to-monitor roads.
These are some of the key insights from a new Austroads report, which brings together the latest evidence on this emerging technology. The report is the first phase of a five-phase project that will deliver national best practice guidelines for the use of MP2P technology in speed enforcement.
'There’s currently a significant knowledge gap around mobile point-to-point enforcement,' said Michael Nieuwesteeg, Austroads’ Road Safety and Design Program Manager. 'This research fills that gap by gathering and analysing the available evidence from academic research, jurisdictional trials, and international consultations to inform future policy and practice.'
The report highlights several key benefits of MP2P systems identified through international consultation and literature review, and outlines the types of technologies available, operational considerations, legal and regulatory contexts, communication strategies to build public support, and an implementation and evaluation framework for operational speed enforcement trials. It provides important insights for jurisdictions currently considering trials or preparing for operational deployment of MP2P systems.
Austroads advances road rehabilitation design
A new Austroads report offers a practical way for engineers to assess the condition of existing asphalt and design more efficient and cost-effective road rehabilitation treatments by incorporating estimates of the remaining fatigue life of existing bound pavement materials.
This Austroads project explored how to improve the current design process by estimating the remaining fatigue life in the asphalt layers of a road. It forms part of Austroads’ ongoing efforts to encourage more cost-effective treatments and to extend the service life of road infrastructure.
The project developed a new framework to support road rehabilitation designs that consider how much life is left in the existing asphalt. The framework is intended for flexible road pavements with thick, uncracked asphalt layers and no other bound materials such as cement-stabilised layers.
'This is a practical outcome that road authorities can start considering now,' said Ross Guppy, Austroads’ Transport Infrastructure Program Manager. 'It’s about using the best available evidence to guide smarter investment in our roads. This approach could help agencies plan more targeted repairs, resulting in improved performance and long-term cost savings.'
2025 Austroads Bridge Award Winners to be showcased in upcoming webinar series
Austroads will host two webinars to showcase the winning projects of the 2025 Austroads Bridge Awards.
The Austroads Bridge Awards celebrate individuals and organisations that have delivered outstanding bridge projects across Australia and New Zealand. Winners were announced at the 12th Austroads Bridge Conference held in Brisbane earlier this year, recognising achievements in innovation, sustainability, asset management, community impact, and heritage conservation.
Ross Guppy, Transport Infrastructure Program Manager at Austroads, notes the Bridge Awards highlight the depth of talent across the sector. 'These projects demonstrate how engineering expertise and collaboration can deliver real value for the community, while setting new benchmarks for best practice.'
The following projects will be presented:
2025 Winners of the Austroads Bridge Awards: Part 1
- Excellence in Sustainability: Victoria Bridge Refurbishment QLD – Arup, Brisbane City Council, Nick Stevens Consulting, ACCIONA and Freyssinet Australia
- Excellence in Innovation: Kangaroo Point Bridge – BESIX Watpac and Brisbane City Council
- Excellence in Asset Management and Maintenance: Manganuku Bridge Strengthening – Beca, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Contech, Optimech International Ltd and Eastbridge Ltd.
2025 Winners of the Austroads Bridge Awards: Part 2
- Excellence in Heritage and Conservation: Burnett Bridge – Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
- Excellence in Community Impact: New Fitzroy River Bridge – Fitzroy Bridge Alliance (Main Roads Western Australia, BG&E, BMD Group and Georgiou)
- Best Structure Over 35 Metres: Boorloo Bridge – Main Roads Western Australia and Causeway Link Alliance (Civmec, Seymour Whyte, WSP in Australia)
Learn more about the 2025 Austroads Bridge Awards winning projects
New webinar offers deep dive into practitioner tools to support better cycling outcomes
Austroads recently held a hands-on webinar exploring transport practitioner tools from Austroads’ latest report, Improving Austroads Guidance for Cycling and Micromobility Planning.
The session focused on key tools to support safer, more accessible, and user-friendly cycling infrastructure, including the Cycling Level of Service (CLoS) tool and the All Ages and Abilities Facility Selection tool. Presenters also discussed practical guidance on crossings, intersections, and road space reallocation.
Amy Naulls, Transport Network Operations Program Manager at Austroads, remarked, 'We hope this webinar will enable practitioners to see how the tools can be applied to deliver safer, more inclusive cycling networks. While the first session introduced the new guidance, this session offers a deeper dive into the tools and gives examples of how they can be used in real-world projects.'
All upcoming Austroads webinars
There is no charge for our webinars, but registration is essential. If you can’t make the live session, register and we will send you a link to the recording.
2025 Winners of the Austroads Bridge Awards: Part 1 | Register
Tuesday 23 September 2025, 1 pm AEST
This is the first of two webinars showcasing the 2025 Award winners. Presenters will share insights into the design, delivery and outcomes of their projects and will be available to answer audience questions.
2025 Winners of the Austroads Bridge Awards: Part 2 | Register
Thursday 25 September 2025, 1 pm AEST
The second webinar in this series completes the showcase of the 2025 Austroads Bridge Award winners. Together, the two sessions highlight the projects and teams setting new benchmarks for excellence in bridge engineering across the region.
Safer Journeys Through Shared Agency Data: A Vision for Harmonised Access Points in ANZ | Register
Thursday 16 October 2025, 1 pm AEDT
Join this webinar to learn about a concept for the standardised provision of road agency data to data consumers such as information service providers, navigation apps providers, and vehicle manufacturers, via jurisdiction-based, harmonised access points.
Bridge Assessment Guideline: Heavy Vehicles | Register
Thursday 16 October 2025, 1 pm AEDT
Register for this session to learn about Austroads’ Bridge Assessment Guideline for heavy vehicles, with a focus on its risk-informed decision-making framework for managing road bridge assessments and heavy vehicle access.
Managing the Unexpected: A Framework for TMC Response to ITS Outages | Register
Tuesday 28 October 2025, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar presents findings from an Austroads project focused on strengthening the resilience of Transport Management Centres (TMCs) in the face of ITS disruptions, offering insights into key themes from agency consultation and operational research.
An Evaluation of Methods for Estimating Remaining Asphalt Fatigue Life | Register
Tuesday 13 November 2025, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will outline the recent investigation into methods for engineers to design more efficient and cost-effective road rehabilitation treatments and present the new framework for rehabilitation design to validate with future research.
Work with us
Current vacancies
Austroads and Transport Certification Australia (TCA) employ staff across a range of specialised and technical disciplines. We pay attention to maintaining a safe and welcoming work environment, where all staff have equal access to opportunities. We encourage our staff to participate in external and internal training to make sure their skills and knowledge are continuously improved. We take inclusion and diversity seriously. We embrace difference and diversity of identity, experience and thought, and actively strive for inclusive behaviours across our company and our work.
We currently have positions open for:
- Technical Specifications Manager
- Senior Project Coordinator
- Compliance and Audit Coordinator
- Head of Program Management – Digital Trust Service
View current vacancies here.
Tenders
Are you looking for an opportunity to work on an Austroads project? The following project is open for tender:
- WPO6660 Review, update and promote use of Austroads Glossary of Terms. Closing 3 pm AEST, Thursday 18 September 2025.
- SAG6635 Data Requirements for Planning for Zero. Closing 3 pm AEST, Thursday 18 September 2025.
- SRL6645 Update of the Australasian Graduated Licensing Policy Framework and Evidence Base. Closing 2 pm AEST, Friday 19 September 2025.
- SAG6640 Road Safety Online Tools and Applications Implementation. Closing 2:30 pm AEST, Tuesday 30 September 2025.
- ESG6623 Determining criteria for assessing transport infrastructure projects' alignment with net zero objectives. Closing 2:30 pm AEST, Tuesday 30 September 2025.
- AAM6344 Updating the Austroads Guide to Asset Management. Closing 2:30 pm AEDT, Thursday 9 October 2025.
- NEF6630 Enhanced Management of Steep Descents on the Road Network. Closing 3 pm AEDT, Friday 24 October 2025.
Low-Volume Roads Symposium: 'Connecting the Dots'
The Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australia are hosting the Low Volume Roads Symposium in Alice Springs from 1 – 3 October this year. It will offer a space for people and groups who all share a common reliance on the low-volume road network o come together and establish connections.
Critical issues that will be discussed at the symposium include:
- road safety
- freight supply
- resource sustainability
- network resilience
- maintaining a skilled workforce.
The symposium will be beneficial to road managers and practitioners, people working in freight, supply and construction, emergency services, education, and survey and assessment specialists.
More information is available on the REAAA's website where you can also register for the event.
Upcoming industry events
ATA Technology and Maintenance Conference, 14 – 15 October, Melbourne
2025 CICA Conference, Exhibition and Crane Display, 16 – 18 October, Brisbane
8th ASCP Concrete Pavements Conference, 19 – 22 October, Penrith
2025 Australasian Road Safety Conference, 20 – 23 October, Perth
TechDRIVE Roadshow, Melbourne, 22 October, Melbourne
20th AfPA International Conference, 28 – 30 October, Adelaide
BIC National Conference 2025, 29 – 31 October, Perth
