Road Expo Scotland and Bridges Scotland close with visitor increase and re-bookings for 2026

Over two days, the co-located events brought together local authorities, contractors, consultants, and suppliers from across Scotland’s roads and bridges sectors, with attendees engaging in over 40 conference sessions across two theatres alongside networking with more than 100 exhibiting companies.

“We’re absolutely delighted with how the event has performed,” said Gordon Kirk, sector head of transport exhibitions at Hemming Group. “The 10% uplift in visitor numbers reflects the strong demand for face-to-face engagement in our sector. Even more encouraging is that we’ve already had exhibitors committing to 2026 before the show floor has even closed – that’s a real vote of confidence in what we’re delivering.”

Transport Scotland’s participation as Headline Partner was central to the event’s success, with the organisation contributing speakers across multiple sessions, from the ministerial keynote to technical presentations on the A9 Dualling Programme, EV infrastructure, ITS systems, and procurement opportunities.

Scott Lees, head of network maintenance at Roads Delivery Directorate, Transport Scotland, said: “As Headline Partner, Transport Scotland was proud to support Road Expo Scotland and Bridges Scotland 2025. These events provide an invaluable platform for collaboration across our sector as we work towards delivering Scotland’s transport infrastructure for the future.

“Our team participated in sessions covering everything from our major projects like the A9 Dualling Programme to critical discussions on skills development, digital transformation, and decarbonisation. The quality of engagement we’ve had – both on our stand and throughout the conference programme – demonstrates the sector’s commitment to innovation and excellence. Events like this are essential for bringing together the expertise and partnerships needed to meet Scotland’s Net Zero 2045 ambitions whilst maintaining and enhancing our transport networks.”

The event tackled critical issues facing Scotland’s infrastructure, with key themes across the two days including operational carbon reduction, digital transformation of the road network, climate resilience, procurement opportunities, and the sector’s skills shortage – identified as a priority concern in multiple panel discussions.

Day two saw strong attendance for sessions including the major projects update on the A9 Dualling Programme delivered by Gemma Patterson, Head of A9 Dualling Programme Delivery at Transport Scotland, and a well-attended panel on how road condition monitoring can better feed into maintenance planning.

The Bridges Scotland theatre, sponsored by Acrow, covered everything from the Fort Road Bridge main cable inspection and the M74 Nethan Viaduct to a review of 25 years of the Millennium Bridge building boom. A panel discussion on addressing the skills shortage brought together representatives from Transport Scotland, Arup, Balfour Beatty, University of Strathclyde, and SCOTS to discuss solutions to one of the sector’s most pressing challenges.

The new formats introduced for 2025 – Ten-Minute Tech Talks and Ignite Sessions – proved particularly popular, with exhibitors using these platforms to showcase innovations ranging from masonry bridge rehabilitation and AI for asset integrity to rural-to-urban modular bridging solutions.

Exhibitors reported productive engagement throughout the event, with many conducting significant commercial discussions on the show floor. The quality of attendees – predominantly decision-makers from local authorities, contractors, and consultancies – was highlighted as a key strength.
Road Expo Scotland and Bridges Scotland 2026 will take place on 24-25 November 2026 at SEC Glasgow. Exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities are now available.