|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2026 |
PORTLAND, Maine—The Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) is implementing Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology on the Turnpike as part of its ongoing effort to improve roadway safety and support more efficient highway maintenance. A specialized truck from Greenman-Pedersen Inc. has begun collecting data along the Turnpike, bridges, and toll plazas using a dual sided camera and sensors. This system reliably captures detailed measurements of pavement edges, guardrails, overhead structures and other highway infrastructure.
LiDAR produces highly precise “point clouds” of the road and its surroundings. These measurements help engineers assess key features such as the road’s “crown”—the raised center that helps reduce hydroplaning risk. The system also allows the MTA to measure guardrails and other roadside features without placing workers near fast-moving traffic, improving safety and limiting the need for lane closures.
Accurate measurement supports a variety of operational needs, including improving pavement and roadside features, supporting law enforcement, creating roadway maps, and providing data for future self-driving vehicles. Because the system can sense passing vehicles and adjust for their movement, it can scan roadway data efficiently without interrupting traffic. Although it detects vehicles traveling at highway speeds, the system can filter them out while measurement is taking place. Its primary purpose is to measure the road surface and surrounding infrastructure.
“Being able to collect this level of detail without sending crews onto the roadway is a major benefit,” said MTA Executive Director Andre Briere. “It allows us to maintain the Turnpike more efficiently while reducing the number of lane closures and lowering the risk to the people responsible for keeping the road in good condition.”
On the Turnpike, the mobile mapping system—known as the RIEGL VMX2HA—can capture more than a million data points every second. These point clouds are then converted into computer aided design (CAD) drawings that make it easier to identify and address potential issues with pavement, road edges, and guardrails.
Lauren Fleming, Engineering Program Manager at MTA, explained that the data is placed into GIS maps and engineering tools that extract critical information. The resulting “line streams” show key roadway features and help engineers identify potential maintenance needs.
With full 360-degree coverage and high measurement rates, this system will help the MTA improve safety, operate more efficiently, and better plan for the future needs of Maine’s transportation network.