IRI Award 2026: Recognising Outstanding Road Smoothness in Brazil
Who builds Brazil’s smoothest roads? MOBA Latin America (LATAM) sets out to answer this question with its IRI Award. In the third edition of the competition, seven construction companies and nine road operators competed in two categories. In the end, just hundredths separated the winners from their closest competitors.
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A Close Race for Brazil’s Smoothest Roads
Since 2024, MOBA LATAM has held the annual IRI Award to identify Brazil’s smoothest roads. Each year, the field grows and the race for the top positions becomes closer. This time, seven construction companies and nine road operators from five states—Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo—entered the competition. Only projects completed using the BIG-SONIC-SKI or SUPER-SKI were eligible.
A panel of MOBA experts from engineering and product support determined the rankings. Their benchmark, which also gives the competition its name, was the International Roughness Index, or IRI. It describes a road’s longitudinal evenness: the lower the value, the smoother the road surface.
This year, numerous participants set new benchmarks with their low IRI values, making the competition particularly close. Two projects ultimately stood out: Neovia Infraestrutura Rodoviária won the Rehabilitation and Repair category with just 0.64 m/km, while Sanches Tripoloni achieved the year’s best result in the New Construction and Expansion category with 0.53 m/km.
Rehabilitation and Repair: First Place for Neovia Infraestrutura Rodoviária
Neovia Infraestrutura Rodoviária secured first place with a project on the Anhanguera-Bandeirantes road network in the state of São Paulo. Connecting the metropolitan areas of São Paulo and Campinas, the network is one of the country’s most important corridors for passenger and freight traffic. Neovia entered the rehabilitation of an existing section of this busy route.
To achieve the required road smoothness, the team used the MOBA BIG-SONIC-SKI. With ultrasonic sensors distributed over an extended distance, the system provides an averaged height reference for automatic screed levelling, helping to compensate for unevenness during paving. Neovia has been working with the technology since 2022. The result: an average IRI of 0.64 m/km and first place in the Rehabilitation and Repair category.
New Construction and Expansion: Sanches Tripoloni Sets the Benchmark on the BR-163
Sanches Tripoloni won the New Construction and Expansion category with a project on the BR-163 in the state of Mato Grosso. Between Lucas do Rio Verde and Sorriso, the company built an additional carriageway for road operator Nova Rota do Oeste on one of Brazil’s most important transport routes.
Nova Rota do Oeste had defined clear quality targets before the project began. Sanches Tripoloni’s results exceeded all expectations: an average IRI of 0.53 m/km secured first place in the New Construction and Expansion category and was also the lowest value in the entire competition. This project was also completed using the BIG-SONIC-SKI, which Sanches Tripoloni has been using since 2024.
The Second- and Third-Place Projects
Other construction companies also achieved strong results with projects on Nova Rota do Oeste’s road network. Consórcio Caminhos do MT (CCMT), comprising Pedrisa Pavimentações and Neovia Infraestrutura Rodoviária, secured top rankings with two sections of the BR-163. Between Sorriso and Sinop, the consortium carried out both road expansion and the rehabilitation of an existing carriageway.
The newly built section achieved an average IRI of 0.71 m/km, earning second place in the New Construction and Expansion category.
CCMT also took second place in the Rehabilitation and Repair category, with an IRI of 0.65 m/km. Vilasa and road operator Ecovias do Cerrado followed in third place with a section of the BR-365 in the state of Minas Gerais, where the average IRI was 0.78 m/km.
In the New Construction and Expansion category, a new user of MOBA technology secured third place: construction company Brasoli Obras e Construções and road operator Way360 earned their ranking with a section of the BR-163 in Mato Grosso do Sul. The average IRI was 1.16 m/km.
Award Ceremony at Paving Expo
The competition concluded with an award ceremony at Paving Expo in São Paulo. With these awards, MOBA LATAM recognised the achievements of the participating construction companies and road operators. Their projects demonstrate how precise asphalt paving and modern levelling technology work together, delivering measurable results on Brazil’s roads.
