TRL, in partnership with the World Bank, is proud to announce the next-generation Highway Development and Management Model (HDM-5), a vital upgrade to the world’s most widely adopted tool for road transport planning and investment evaluation.

Since its inception in 1968, HDM has been a cornerstone analytical framework, supporting over 1,500 organisations across 100 countries. Used by governments, research institutions, and multilateral development banks (MDBs), HDM provides essential tools for economic evaluation, investment planning, maintenance prioritisation, and strategic network analysis. Financial institutions including the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) require HDM compliance as a prerequisite for funding transport infrastructure projects.

Responding to a Changing World

Despite HDM’s proven legacy, the past two decades have ushered in transformative changes in vehicle technology, pavement design, climate resilience, and road safety. These emerging challenges demand a fresh approach. The development of HDM-5 officially commenced June 2025, with a release targeted for 2027.

HDM-5 is not an update, it’s a reinvention. The new platform is being conceived as a cloud-native, modular, and web-based system delivered through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. This will ensure enhanced scalability, flexibility, and ease of use across a wide range of stakeholders. HDM-5 will also include integrated tools for assessing climate resilience and estimating carbon emissions, alongside advanced functionality to evaluate road safety impacts. By embedding these capabilities within a modern, intuitive digital framework, HDM-5 is poised to support smarter, more sustainable, and forward-looking transport decisions.

Subu Kamal, Head of Product, TRL Software:

“Our vision for HDM-5 is to transform it into a dynamic and accessible platform that empowers decision-makers across the globe. By embedding sustainability, safety, and digital flexibility at its core, we’re creating a tool that truly meets the transport challenges of tomorrow delivered with the usability and scalability expected of modern software.”

TRL’s Leadership and Commitment

As a founding research institution of HDM with over six decades of engagement, TRL is uniquely positioned to co-develop HDM-5. TRL is a leading organisation in transport software, innovation, and research, with deep expertise in transport systems modelling, software engineering, user-centred design, and global technical support. Our involvement ensures that HDM-5 will not only be technically robust and economically rigorous, but also sustainable, future-ready, and user-friendly.

Binyam Reja, Global Practice Manager, Transport Global Unit, World Bank said: “The development of HDM-5 marks a major step forward in how we support countries to plan, prioritize, and finance road investments. This initiative reflects our commitment to integrating climate resilience, road safety, and sustainability into infrastructure decision making. We are pleased to partner with TRL whose legacy and technical leadership have shaped HDM from the beginning to bring this next-generation global public good to life.”

Wenxin Qiao Senior Transport Specialist and Global Lead for Technology and Innovation, Transport Global Unit, World Bank said:  “The development of HDM-5 is a collaborative effort to address the increasing complexity of transport infrastructure decision-making. It is designed to provide users with a technically robust, consistent, and adaptable platform for evaluating the costs, benefits, and long-term performance of road investments. In close partnership with TRL, we are committed to ensuring that this new HDM-5 model reflects practical realities and delivers value to both technical practitioners and policymakers, driving lasting impact.”

Global Collaboration for a Global Solution

A steering committee chaired by the World Bank, comprising key partners such as PIARC, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), ADB, IsDB, and EIB, is guiding HDM-5’s development. The initiative is further supported by a technical committee and funded through contributions from GRSF, GFDRR, QII, and GFDT. Collaborative work with leading academic and research institutions has already advanced critical components such as gap analysis, functional updates, and modelling enhancements.