County considers PCI asset-management data and SS4A grant; vendor estimates about $320,000 for PCI component

Tony, a representative from Collier Engineering, demonstrated a pavement-condition index (PCI) asset-management system to the Sumner County Highway Committee and described how LiDAR, 360-degree imaging and artificial intelligence produce a countywide condition dataset that can integrate with the county’s GIS.

“Once we collect it, we can pass it off to you. You know, you have to use the software. You can use whatever software you decide,” Tony said, describing a handoff and training plan that would allow county staff to update the data without ongoing vendor assistance. He added the dataset can be used to produce transparent road-priority lists, locate signs and guardrail sections, and generate reports for grant or FEMA documentation.

Tony and Road Superintendent Tim Ellis discussed costs and financing. Tony gave a rough figure for the PCI portion of the work, saying it would cost “about $320,000.” He described that as a one-time data-collection expense and said the information would remain useful for several years; Tony recommended planning for re-surveys on roughly a five-year cycle. Ellis noted some routes are eligible for state aid participation — the county typically arranges state aid to reduce the county’s share of paving projects, and he said the department has already been coordinating state-aid funding for upcoming overlays.

Ellis outlined near-term State Aid projects: Bug Hollow Road (about 4.25 miles, from Highway 25 to Scottie Parker Road) will receive an overlay starting the coming week; Deep Road (about 0.79 miles, from Halltown to Highway 76) is another State Aid job planned for completion before July 1; Corinth Road and South Tunnel Road work will begin after July 1. The department also reported culvert replacements on South Toll Road are complete.

Tony described bundling the PCI data with an SS4A (Safe Streets and Roads for All) supplemental action plan, signage inventory, striping and guardrail inventories. He estimated the combined supplemental package would raise the total supplemental cost, and said the presenter’s rough totals for supplemental work and the action plan brought the package toward “almost $600,000.” Committee members asked about procurement, recurring costs, reporting and how staff would update the dataset after repairs; Tony said staff training and handoff are part of the proposal and that the county could update PCI ratings after paving or emergency repairs without re-contracting for a full rescan.

Committee members raised procurement questions (competitive bidding and vendor alternatives) and asked whether the county would need to re-scan after major storm damage. Tony said the data supports FEMA-quality records and historical reporting and that the county could schedule rescans or update sections as needed. The committee did not take a formal vote to purchase; the staff said they are preparing an application for an SS4A grant that would fund portions of the work and that any contract or procurement would follow county purchasing rules if the grant is awarded.

The vendor demonstration and the department’s update were placed on the record for legislative review and possible inclusion in an SS4A grant application; no contract award was decided during the meeting.