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Consultant outlines LIDAR, PCI mapping and SS4A grant plan to assess Sumner County roads
Summary
Collier Engineering presented a countywide pavement-condition and asset-management system using LIDAR and 360˚ imaging, described how the data would feed a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS 4 a) supplemental action-plan grant request, and answered commissioners' questions about cost, frequency and local control of the data and software.
Collier Engineering representatives told the Sumner County Highway Committee that a countywide pavement-condition inventory using LIDAR, 360˚ cameras and AI can produce a prioritized, data-driven plan for road repairs and safety improvements and can be bundled with an SS 4 a supplemental action-plan grant application.
The consultant said the system collects high-resolution imagery and LIDAR while driving county-maintained roads, produces a pavement-condition index (PCI) and isolates problem sections so staff can prioritize spot repairs and longer-term overlays. “This is an example dataset from, I'll say this is DeKalb County,” the presenter said, describing how the company processes imagery into GIS shapefiles for county use.
Why it matters: committee members asked how the product would change budgeting, transparency and operations. The consultant described the system as an asset-management tool that can estimate lifecycle costs, generate reports for FEMA and others, and provide coordinates and images for specific sign, striping and guardrail repairs. “You can click on the road and drive it,” the Collier representative said, explaining that staff could use the system to locate a damaged curve-ahead sign and send coordinates directly to maintenance crews.
Details and fiscal questions: the presenter said the dataset typically remains useful for about five years before a fresh scan is advisable, and that counties can be trained to operate the software so they can update conditions without recurring vendor dependence. On funding, the consultant said the county’s requested supplemental package would bundle the PCI/LIDAR work with a safety action plan. “This is structured to be a supplement…so it will go out for bid,” the presenter said, and added that state aid could cover a portion of the cost because approximately 15–20% of the county’s roads qualify as state aid routes.
Committee members pressed on procurement, recurring costs and vendor continuity. One commissioner asked whether the county would have to re-scan after catastrophic events; the presenter replied that staff could update the system and that rescans would be needed only if the county fell behind or a full re-evaluation was required. The consultant also said the county could own the data and train staff to use it without ongoing vendor dependency.
Next steps and timing: Collier staff said the county is applying for the SS 4 a supplemental funding now and that, if awarded, the package would be included in any formal solicitation so multiple firms could bid. “We're applying for the grant, and that's all we're doing at this time,” a county official said about the grant application process. The consultant recommended considering a five-year scan cycle to build a multi-year deterioration curve and historical database to improve long-term budgeting.
Committee members asked technical follow-ups — how the system differentiates county-maintained roads from city or state roads (answer: GIS shapefiles for county-maintained roads), how PCI informs repair-vs.-replace decisions (answer: a decision tree that combines PCI, functional class and addresses), and whether the system tracks striping retroreflectivity and signs (answer: yes). The consultant noted the approach is safety-focused and said he “cannot think of a reason not to do it” because the data supports safety-driven investments.
The committee did not take a formal vote during the presentation; staff and the consultant said they will pursue the grant application and return with procurement details if funding is awarded.
