NHAI to make network survey vehicle use mandatory for road condition survey

New Delhi: In line with its commitment to provide better roads to commuters, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to deploy Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) to enhance the quality of the national highways. "Carrying out road condition survey using NSV on the national highways has been made mandatory at the time of certifying completion of the project and every six months thereafter. The provision has also been included as part of the standard bidding document of consultancy services," NHAI said in a press release on Tuesday. 

"The deployment will help in enhancing the overall quality of the highways as NSV uses the latest survey techniques such as the high-resolution digital camera for 3,600 imagery, record images/videos at regular intervals, Laser Road Profilometer and other related technology for the measurement of distresses in the road surface," it added.
As per NHAI, NSV will also help collate data to analyse the road condition, including measurement of the road surface, surface cracking, potholes and patches. Apart from this, NSV will also provide data insights relating to side drains and road furniture etc.

Data collected through NSV survey shall be uploaded on NHAI's 'AI' based portal data lake, where it will be analysed by Road Asset Management Cell (RAMS Cell) to assess the condition and roughness of the road to prioritise the maintenance.

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The data will help to maintain up-to-date asset inventory and road assets condition status. Apart from delivering vital information on road network planning, providing relevant information on other aspects such as the development of road safety measures, etc, it will also assist in developing highway maintenance strategies, analysis of maintenance and selection of optimal maintenance regime.

The data collected through NSV surveys will highlight deficiencies in road conditions, prompting BOT operators/NHAI officials to take corrective steps to bring the road condition to the desired level. This will further result in better upkeep of national highways, leading to more comfort and better travel experience for highways users.

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