Every three years, the city of Mercer Island gathers data on pavement conditions using a private contractor. To maintain roads in a “healthy” condition, the city is planning conduct a field survey of road conditions on the Island.

The city has contracted Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) to begin detailed inventory using specialized surveying equipment. Residents can expect to see a white van traveling all public Island roads after Labor Day. Surveying takes three to four days to complete.

“The goal of the project overall is to help determine the health of our streets,” said Leah Llamas, city GIS coordinator. “Major roads are a priority… IMS will move around the Island geographically and hit every publicly-maintained road and collect information from there.”

IMS will drive the van around the Island capturing photo and video footage. Llamas said the van is outfitted with multiple cameras that capture different angles, depending on the assets a city wants to collect. For Mercer Island, Llamas said the city decided on pavement conditions.

The first phase of surveying will include capturing deficiencies to measure pavement roughness, rutting, cracking, patching and other surface distresses. The IMS cameras will capture and track exact location using GPS.

Aside from surveying road conditions, Llamas said IMS will collect signage footage. Collecting signs on the Island ensures safety, which is the city’s priority.

Llamas said the idea is to keep all streets at a good score (in terms of condition) instead of waiting for them to degrade.

Once data is gathered, the city can update its priorities for long-term roadway maintenance to prevent degradation.

Photo courtesy of Leah Llamas IMS will drive a white van around the Island capturing photo and video footage of pavements and road signage.