Hi-tech vehicle to give valuable information on our roads

If you see a strange hi-tech van driving the streets of Noosa over the next couple of weeks, it’s not a Google car or Ghostbusters van, but a state-of-the-art vehicle Noosa Council is using to record the condition of our sealed roads. 

Bryan O’Connor, Council’s Asset Planning Coordinator, said Council is using the Automatic Road Analyser (ARAN) vehicle to collect valuable data on the condition of our local roads.

“The vehicle uses military-designed systems and specialist equipment including a high precision GPS in conjunction with digital video and a laser measurement system to log road condition data” Mr O’Connor said.

“It can capture information about the pavement surface and also how the road is performing underneath the surface.”

The vehicle will be traveling the Noosa Shire’s sealed roads for the next two weeks.

“Council is asking road users to be patient if they come across the ARAN vehicle as it will be stopping frequently and may, at times, drive slowly.”

Once the data has been collected, it will be used to develop future works programs for Noosa’s road network. 

“Our roads are our most valuable asset and Council has committed over $5 million this year in capital road works.  Having this highly accurate data will help ensure our roads are looked after well into the future,” Mr O’Connor said.

3 March 2015