- About
- Agenda
- Scientific Program
- IRF Meetings
- Speakers
- Exhibition
- Sponsorship
- Venue & Hotel
- Technical Site Visits
Building the Transport Infrastructure of Tomorrow
The IRF Global Road2Tunnel Conference & Expo is the new international meeting point where leading industry innovators, researchers, and stakeholders acquire essential engineering & business insights, and help build tomorrow’s transportation infrastructure today.
The Conference will feature more than 150 internationally recognized speakers from over 40 countries sharing insights on topics ranging from innovative road construction techniques to road financing to connected and autonomous vehicles. The Expo portion will showcase world-class equipment and product manufacturers who are at the forefront of innovations in the fields of ITS, Road Safety, & road, bridge,& tunnel maintenance & construction.
Program features
- Keynotes delivered by the sector’s foremost thought leaders
- Policy roundtables
- Specialized sessions
- Cutting-edge scientific program
- Business networking events
Keynote Speakers Announced

Shelley Row
President & CEO | Shelley Row Associates LLC

Bud Wright
AASHTO |
Executive Director

Rudy Malfabon
Director |
Nevada DOT

Kirk Steudle
Director | Michigan Department of Transportation

Susan Martinovich
Highway/Bridge Director for N. America | Jacobs
Why Participate?
- Meet the Top Technical & Scientific Experts in the region
- Engage with over 1,000 local & international delegates
- Receive pipeline infrastructure project updates from over 30 government agencies who will be in attendance
- Network with key decision makers from the region
- Benefit from an exceptional technical and scientific programs featuring some 150 speakers
- View the latest technologies and products and services at the Exhibition
Who Should Attend
- Construction Contractors, Engineers & Managers
- Equipment Manufacturers, Suppliers and Distributors
- Highway Agency & Municipal Staff in charge of tenders
- Highway Agency & Transportation Officials
- Design Consultants, Engineers & Managers
- Engineering Services Professionals
- Transport Research Institutes
- University Researchers and Professors
- Traffic Technology and ITS Consultants, Engineers and Managers
Message from the Conference Scientific & Technical Committee Chairs
Technology and innovations are evolving at a pace never seen before in the history of the road and transport sector. From innovations in materials, such as self-healing concrete and rubberized asphalt, to advances in construction equipment automation, and of course, the dawn of the connected and automated vehicle, we are on a verge of a new era. With such remarkable developments, we found it very important to organize a global event that brought together the most innovative researchers with the top practitioners and users of innovation and technology. As such it is our pleasure invite innovators, researchers and practitioners to submit abstracts in the following topics and help us build tomorrow’s transport infrastructure today.
Dr. Kamil Kaloush, Professor, Arizona State University
Dr. Moses Karakouzian, Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Submission Timeline & Guidelines
Authors whose abstracts have been accepted are invited to take note of the following paper submission and acceptance schedule.
April 6 – Abstract Submission Deadline
April 16 – Abstract Acceptance Notification
June 14 - Paper Submission Deadline
Aug 14 – Paper Acceptance Notification
Download the Paper Submission Template
Conference Tracks
1- Asset Management
1.1 Pavement & Bridge Management Systems (Research and Implementations)
1.2 Non-destructive Testing
1.3 Life Cycle Cost Analysis
1.4 Maintenance, Repair, and Replacement Techniques
2- Innovative Materials and Technology
2.1 Concrete Materials (Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Self-Healing Concrete, etc.).
2.2 Asphalt Concrete (Superpave Mixture Designs, Warm Mixtures, Use of Fibers, Polymers, Crumb Rubber, etc.)
2.3 Recycled and Waste Materials
2.4 Fiber Reinforced Polymers
2.5 Curing Compounds
2.6 Nano-Materials in Infrastructure Projects and Surface Treatments
3- Towards Zero Deaths
3.1 Road Risk Diagnosis & Road Safety Audit
3.2 Safer Streets by Design
3.3 Intersection & Roundabout Safety
3.4 Safety Information Systems & Apps
3.5 Protecting Vulnerable Road Users
3.6 Roadside/Median Safety
3.7 Work Zone Safety
4- Structural Design
4.1 Girder Bridges with Superior Structural Performance
4.2 Arch Bridges, Suspension, and Cable-Stayed Bridges
4.3 New Technologies in Accelerated Bridge Construction
4.4 Value Engineering
5- Tunneling
5.1 Conventional & Mechanized Tunneling
5.2 New Micro-tunneling Technology
5.3 Health Safety & Risk Management during Construction & Operations
5.4 Operation and Maintenance of Road Tunnels
6- Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs): Readying our Road Infrastructure
6.1 Big Data as a Key Enabler for Mobility Services
6.2 GIS Solutions for Highway & Road Management
6.3 City Street & Highway Design for CAVs
6.4 Smart Cities: from Concept to Reality
An Invitation to Attend the 2018 IRF Global General Assembly
Against a backdrop of fast-paced change and innovation within our industry, IRF has continued to expand our programs and services, and the 2018 IRF General Assembly is an opportunity for members to learn about and help shape the future of these programs.
Please plan to join the volunteer leadership of IRF Global at the following meetings held in the Las Vegas Convention Center alongside the IRF Global R2T Conference & Expo:
Wednesday November 7, 17:30 - Meetings of the IRF Technical & Regional Committees
Thursday, November 7, 19:30 - IRF Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Thursday, November 8, 07:30 - IRF General Assembly
Thursday, November 8, 15:30 - IRF Board of Directors (by invitation only)
Thursday, November 8, 16:45 - IRF Executive Committee Meeting
Friday, November 9, 16:00 - Meeting of the IRF Fellows

Shelley Row
President & CEO | Shelley Row Associates LLC

Bud Wright
AASHTO |
Executive Director

Rudy Malfabon
Director |
Nevada DOT

Kirk Steudle
Director |Michigan Department of Transportation

Susan Martinovich
Highway/Bridge Director for N. America | Jacobs

Shirley Ybarra
Former Virginia Secretary of Transportation

Maitha bin Adai
CEO - Traffic & Roads Agency | Dubai Roads & Transport Authority

Chris Sanders
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | LINDSAY TRANSPORTATION

Ahmed Al-Hassan
DIRECTOR GENERAL | PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR ROADS & TRANSPORT

William Sowell
Vice President | Eberle Design, Inc. & Reno A&E

Kristina Swallow
ASCE President 2018 | American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Joe Toole
Former, US FHWA Acting Administrator

Anthony Buckley
Director | Washington State Department of Transportation

Shawn MacCormack
Manager of Construction | Bechtel

Ken Smith
Transportation Program Management Director | HDR
Place your company’s brand, products and services at center stage during this high-level industry event. With an exhibit or sponsorship package you can build greater market awareness by increasing your exposure in front of top decision makers, government officials and buyers who are directly involved with road and transport infrastructure industry programs.
Venue Opening Hours
Tropicana Las Vegas
Wednesday November 7, 2018 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday November 8, 2018 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday November 9, 2018 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Floor Plan
To view the live floor plan, please CLICK HERE
CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS & RATES
Place your company’s brand, products and services at center stage during this high-level industry event. With an exhibit or sponsorship package you can build greater market awareness by increasing your exposure in front of top decision makers, government officials and buyers who are directly involved with road and transport infrastructure industry programs
Platinum | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Patron | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MEMBER COST | $50,000 | $25,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 |
NON-MEMBER COST | $60,000 | $31,250 | $18,750 | $12,500 | $5,000 |
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SPONSORSHIPS | 1 | 5 | 10 | OPEN | OPEN |
NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS | 15 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
SPONSORSHIP ON-LINE AFTER EVENT | ![]() | ![]() | |||
ACCESS TO VIP REFRESHMENT LOUNGE | ![]() | ![]() | |||
SPONSORSHIP RECOGNITION AT COFFEE BREAK | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
GALA DINNER SPONSORSHIP | ![]() | ||||
ADVERTISEMENT IN EXHIBITOR GUIDE | Full Page | Full Page | Half Page | Quarter Page | |
LOGO IN EVENT PROGRAM | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
MATERIALS IN CONGRESS BRIEFCASE | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
PUBLICITY/FOLDERS/PAPER/PENS HANDOUTS ON CHAIRS (provided by sponsor) | ![]() | ||||
EXHIBIT SPACE (Space Only) | 20x20 sq ft | 10x20 sq ft | 10x20 sq ft | 10x10 sq ft | |
ADVANCED PUBLICIATION/WEBSITE LINK | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
LOGO RECOGNITION AT EVENT | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
15 MINUTE LIVE THEATRE PRESENTATION IN THE EXHIBITION | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Official Venue & Accommodation Hotel
Tropicana Las Vegas
3801 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
* Special IRF Rate: 74 USD + 20 Resort Fee
Book Your Hotel NowProject NEON Las Vegas
Project NEON will widen 3.7 miles of Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the “Spaghetti Bowl” interchange in downtown Las Vegas. It’s currently the busiest stretch of highway in Nevada with 300,000 vehicles daily, or one-tenth of the state population, seeing 25,000 lane changes an hour. At almost $1 billion, project Neon is the largest public works project in Nevada history, with anticipated completion in Summer 2019.
Major components include:
- HOV direct connect between U.S. 95 (west of Spaghetti Bowl) and I-15 (south of Spaghetti Bowl)
- Conversion of express lanes on I-15 to one HOV lane and one general purpose lane
- Neon Gateway interchange for HOV and rapid transit use
- Ramp braiding to reduce merge and weave traffic on I-15
- Reconstruction of I-15/Charleston Boulevard interchange
- MLK Boulevard realignment with flyover at Charleston Boulevard
- Grand Central Parkway extension to Western Avenue and Industrial Road
- Aesthetic and landscape improvements
Active Traffic Management | High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes |
---|---|
As part of Project Neon, 42 ATM signs will be installed on I-15 and US 95. The strategically placed signs will disseminate lane-specific traveler information. | N-DOT is converting the existing I-15 express lanes to one HOV and one general purpose lane. HOV users will have direct access to downtown through a new HOV interchange, the Neon Gateway. |
Registration for the Project Neon technical tour will be available on-site. Buses will depart the Tropicana Las Vegas for Project Neon at 1:45 pm on Friday November 9.
Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST)
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)’s traffic management center is one of the first truly integrated Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the country. The advanced intelligent traffic management center, also known as the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST), operates across all of Southern Nevada’s jurisdictions and in partnership with the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol. FAST is responsible for the coordination and communication to traffic signals throughout Southern Nevada and the operation and maintenance of numerous technologies to monitor and help control traffic flow along area freeways.
Registration for the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) technical tour will be available on-site. Buses will depart the Tropicana Las Vegas for Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) at 1:45 pm on Friday November 9.
More Information
Magid Elabyad, Vice President International Programs & Member Services
+1 703 535 1001
International Road Federation
Madison Place
500 Montgomery Street
Fifth Floor
Alexandria, VA 22314
USA