Al Ain rolls out smart system to track road conditions

Abu Dhabi: Al Ain City Municipality has launched a new project to collect and analyse data on road conditions using smart technology. The aim is to improve road quality across the city and nearby areas, boost efficiency, and support long-term sustainability.

Engineer Rashid Hamad Al Nuaimi, Director of the Assets Management Department, said the project covers all roads in Al Ain, including urban and external routes. By May, data had been collected for 2,551 kilometres of roads. Of this, 1,005.77 kilometres had already been analysed using smart systems.

The project uses high-precision laser systems to assess asphalt surfaces, detect cracks and ruts, and measure road roughness. It also uses ground-penetrating radar to check pavement thickness and study layers beneath the surface.

LiDAR technology scans road features such as pavements and lighting poles to create accurate 3D models. These tools are supported by artificial intelligence and geographic information systems to improve accuracy and analysis.

Al Nuaimi said the project will improve road safety by spotting serious defects early and fixing them quickly. It will also cut costs by moving from emergency repairs to planned, preventive maintenance. The data will help create long-term maintenance plans based on real conditions on the ground.

Government bodies are increasingly using traffic data and AI tools to get real-time information on incidents and traffic flow. This helps with route planning, easing congestion, and scheduling road and bridge maintenance.

Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre has launched two AI-based initiatives with Google to support sustainable transport.

The first is the Green Light project, which analyses traffic at junctions and suggests ways to improve signal timing. This helps reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions.

The second uses Google’s AI platform to analyse data from Google Maps to predict traffic and congestion. This allows authorities to act early and manage traffic better, using real-time updates on incidents and congestion hotspots.