Gaist is proud to announce a major contract with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Northern Ireland to conduct a nationwide survey of its entire road network - a first for the United Kingdom and Ireland.
This partnership is a landmark initiative, setting a new national standard for intelligent infrastructure management by delivering the Region's first commissioned and funded national AI-powered road network survey. While many councils in England, Scotland and Wales already benefit from Gaist's technology, DfI Northern Ireland is the first Government Department across the United Kingdom and Ireland to commit to collecting such a vast national data set and establishing a vital national road and footway condition baseline.
Capturing the Ultimate Digital Twin
At Gaist, we deploy cutting-edge technology to provide unparalleled insight into road, footway and roadside asset condition. Over the next six months, we will use our HD imagery, advanced AI processing, and proprietary roadscape intelligence technology to capture a comprehensive "digital twin" of every road in Northern Ireland to an extraordinary level of detail.
This rapid process generates billions of data points, providing DfI with deep, consistent insights into:
- Carriageway and Footway Condition: Mapping the extent of every visible defect, from minor cracks to large potholes.
- Asset Location: The precise location of footways, cycleways, and associated road assets, including signage, manhole covers, lamp posts, and verges.
Achieving this complete and consistent picture of a national network has been impossible with the traditional, fragmented survey methods previously used across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Maximising Investment and Strategic Planning
The value of deeper, more accurate information to support intelligent road maintenance is widely recognised. This comprehensive survey will transform DfI's ability to plan effectively which is especially significant given that the total expenditure on Northern Ireland roads was £466 million in 2024-25, with £136 million allocated to Structural Maintenance alone.
Our AI-driven system delivers immediate and long-term strategic value:
- Prioritised Maintenance: Identifying and ranking urgent repairs based on objective data.
- Lifecycle Modelling: Providing clear long-term projections of how the network will perform under different investment scenarios.
- Optimisation: Helping DfI maximise investment, reduce the carbon impact from maintenance, and optimise asset safety and lifespan.
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring utility companies undertaking street works reinstate roads to the required standard.
Beyond the Carriageway: Active Travel and Future-Proofing
Gaist's mission extends beyond managing the road surface. This partnership will support DfI in key strategic areas:
- Active Travel: By including footways in our modelling, we can highlight where improvements can be made to support safer, more accessible walking and cycling routes.
- Future-Proofing: A single national baseline gives DfI the clarity needed to better understand the investment required to prepare for emerging technologies such as driverless cars.
As Steve Birdsall, CEO of Gaist, commented:
“The value of deeper, more accurate information to support intelligent road maintenance is widely recognised. A growing number of Councils in England, Wales and Scotland are already benefiting from Gaist’s roadscaping technology. However, Northern Ireland is the first to collect such a vast national data set to produce a national road condition baseline.
“It’s a landmark initiative that, in just six months, will give Northern Ireland an unprecedented understanding of its road infrastructure to better target maintenance, reduce costs, and react quickly to future opportunities and innovations.”
Colin Sykes, DfI’s Director for Road Asset Maintenance, stated:
“We are very pleased to work with Gaist to use advances in technology to under-take the first digital survey of the road network in Northern Ireland. This work will give us the clarity and evidence we need to maximise investment, improve safety and deliver a better experience for everyone who relies on our road network.”
Contact our expert team today to discuss how Gaist's AI and data analytics can revolutionise your asset management strategy.
This work will give us the clarity and evidence we need to maximise investment, improve safety and deliver a better experience for everyone who relies on our road network "
