Road network managers must satisfy users’ demand for unrestricted travel on a safe road network that is equipped with an increasing number of services. To achieve this, roads must be maintained without disrupting traffic and be able to withstand violent climatic events.

They also need to meet societal demand for a reduction in pollution and adverse environmental impacts. The latter are directly linked to road transport and the increase in transport supply. Nevertheless, in a context of strong budgetary constraints, the road managers in question are finding it increasingly difficult to carry out essential maintenance work and obtain the teams they need for good network operation.

To take up these major challenges

IFSTTAR has launched the 5th Generation Road (R5G ©)¹, which has close ties with the European Forever Open Road programme set up and managed by the FEHRL².
The aim of the project is to propose solutions that have the potential for large-scale deployment: communication and energy exchange between the infrastructure, the vehicle and the network manager; recyclable materials with the potential for self-diagnosis and repair, a pavement surface that remains permanently optimal irrespective of climatic variations, etc.
The approach involves combining the components of innovative solutions in full-scale demonstrators in order to evaluate the synergies between them and propose comprehensive solutions that are appropriate for deployment on a larger scale.

A three-pronged approach

To foster the implementation of ground-breaking technologies in the area of transport infrastructure, R5G © will adopt a three-pronged approach.

• Component testing consists of identifying, testing and approving the largest possible number of innovative solutions under controlled conditions.
• Acceptability testing consists of combining a sub-set of these innovations within what will be known as “R5G ©” demonstrators that will be installed directly on the road network. The goal is to evaluate synergy between the technical solutions and identify problems that may be encountered when implementing combinations of them. With these thematic demonstrators it will also be possible to study their acceptability and their impact of user behaviours.
• The innovative road consists of designing public policy instruments which allow the nationwide implementation of the innovative combination tested in R5G ©.

¹ The 5th generation Route proposes to develop a new generation of infrastructure designed, constructed and maintained in a "system" approach that meets current synergistic technologies adapted to different contexts.
² Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories