Highway construction and maintenance
Highways are the vital arteries of the French road network.
At Colas, we design, strengthen, and maintain these major infrastructures by combining engineering, innovation, and environmental responsibility to ensure performance, safety, and durability.
Engineering and design: Colas expertise serving high-traffic roads
Every highway project begins with an in-depth engineering phase. Colas teams leverage their expertise in diagnostics, pavement structure design, and dimensioning calculations to develop solutions suited to traffic demands and durability requirements.
Through a comprehensive approach—from design to implementation—Colas ensures the performance and safety of infrastructures subjected to heavy use. Our expertise covers all stages: preliminary studies, material selection, intervention planning, and quality control at every phase of the project.
Performance and safety of highway pavements
Wet-weather safety and long-lasting grip
User safety is at the heart of every project.
Colas pavements provide optimal traction, even in the rain, thanks to textured and drainable surfaces such as Coldraine and Rugocol, which allow rapid water evacuation and reduce the risk of hydroplaning.
All projects undergo adhesion and roughness checks before opening to traffic.
Noise reduction and driving comfort
Urban and suburban areas require quieter and more comfortable pavements. Colas acoustic surfaces, such as the Colsoft range, reduce rolling noise by up to –5 dB(A) while maintaining excellent mechanical performance.
These solutions help improve quality of life and user comfort, while meeting the requirements of infrastructure managers.
Highway pavement maintenance and upkeep
Ensuring the longevity of a highway requires regular and controlled maintenance. Colas supports infrastructure managers with both preventive and corrective pavement maintenance while ensuring user safety.
Our teams carry out:
- Regular inspections (load-bearing capacity, cracking, rutting),
- Targeted resurfacing of wearing layers,
- Rapid interventions under traffic using proven methods such as Betoflex (structural reinforcement) or Colsave (crack prevention).
By combining technical expertise with optimized planning, Colas extends pavement lifespan while reducing its carbon footprint.
Durability and circular economy
For Colas, performance and sustainability go hand in hand. On high-traffic infrastructures, the challenge is to reduce the carbon footprint while maintaining high mechanical strength. Colas incorporates recycled asphalt aggregates from milling existing pavements into its formulations, thereby limiting the use of new materials and the emissions associated with their transport.
Innovation also includes the development of bio-based pavements, such as Vegeroad. This surface, made with a partially plant-based bituminous binder combined with recycled aggregates, helps reduce CO₂ emissions from road infrastructures.
Our solutions for highways
Project execution and management of constraints
Frequently questions
A highway project is carried out through several key stages, in close collaboration with the project owner and infrastructure operators.
- Initial studies and diagnosis: Colas conducts a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions (pavement condition, traffic levels, geotechnical and environmental constraints). This phase helps determine the most suitable technical solutions.
- Design and dimensioning: our engineering teams define the pavement structure, materials, and construction processes to be used, integrating durability, safety, and environmental performance objectives.
- Construction or reinforcement works: these are carried out according to an optimized schedule to limit disruption to traffic, often with traffic maintained or during night-time operations. Each stage is monitored through continuous quality control.
- Planned maintenance: Colas also provides long-term monitoring and maintenance of infrastructures (reprofiling, waterproofing, signage, routine maintenance), ensuring the durability of the structures.
Thanks to our national network of experts and our innovative materials and processes, Colas supports each highway project from design to maintenance, with a focus on performance and sustainability.
User safety in wet conditions relies primarily on pavement quality.
Colas designs and implements drainable, textured pavements that allow rapid water evacuation and ensure optimal grip, even in challenging weather conditions.
Our technical solutions, such as Coldraine and Rugocol, asphalt, promote surface drainage and reduce the risk of hydroplaning. They also enhance the visibility of road markings and shorten braking distances, ensuring maximum safety for all users.
These innovations are part of Colas’ approach to sustainable performance, combining driving comfort, safety, and environmental responsibility.
Colas is fully committed to low-carbon construction and the circular economy at every stage of its highway projects.
Our teams incorporate recycled materials from existing sites, bio-based binders, and low-carbon processes to reduce the environmental footprint of infrastructure.
Through innovations such as warm-mix asphalt, cold techniques, and the reuse of demolition materials, we minimize energy consumption and CO₂ emissions without compromising performance or durability.
This responsible approach reflects our commitment to building more sustainable infrastructures that support resilient territories and greener mobility.
ch project is guided by a commitment to sustainable mobility and service to local communities.
Colas ensures user safety, smooth traffic flow, and the reduction of noise and environmental impacts. With its network of local offices and regional laboratories, Colas provides close monitoring across the entire French territory.
Tell us about your project
Are you a local authority, infrastructure manager, or concessionaire?
Colas supports you from the design to the maintenance of your highways, offering tailored solutions that combine safety, durability, and performance.
