July 07, 2009 -- Isle of Wight Council is creating the UK’s most detailed road network map as part of a GBP 850 million (US$1400 million) investment in the Island’s highways. The digital map is being created using special mapping software from Mayrise Systems called MapNow that is linked to an asset database. The map not only provides comprehensive information of every highway asset such as manholes, footpaths, road signs and bollards, but also describes their type, condition and value.

Isle of Wight has been selected by the government to pioneer a new round of Highway Maintenance Private Finance Initiatives (PFI). The MAYRISE highways map forms a key part of a Transport Asset Management Plan and provides new levels of certainty and accuracy for a highways asset inventory. It will assist PFI bidders and then provide an important resource for subsequent works and maintenance over the planned twenty five year PFI programme.

All UK councils are creating highways asset databases to meet government directives but the Isle of Wight realised previously used specifications were simply not comprehensive enough. “For PFI bidders there is a lot of additional information that is quite crucial to assessing asset value and liabilities. With more accurate asset information including details to assess materials, condition and values, costs can be predicted with much greater accuracy reducing the financial risk,” says Malcolm Smith, Isle of Wight Council Highways PFI Technical Manager.

Isle of Wight council has set up a five strong team to quality check and enhance some 140,000 asset records. The MAYRISE system integrates data captured in the field with Ordnance Survey MasterMap mapping, the National Street Gazetteer (NSG) and the Council’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG). These geo-referenced records of highways assets form the basis of the highways map created using the fully integrated MapNow mapping software.

“With its integrated MapNow mapping, MAYRISE software is proving invaluable for managing our highways information. It is easy to use and allows us to store, retrieve, query and view highways asset data for both day-to-day highways management, customer service enquiries and the PFI bid,” says Smith. “The information will be compatible with other systems and will form part of a virtual ‘Data Room’ that will include a new online mapping facility.”

The additional detail collected by the Isle of Wight includes a three level asset condition (good, fair, poor), type of material for assets such as bollards, with additional assets such as manholes identified by type. The Island has 822 kilometres of road and unusually the PFI Project will also cover an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways, which run over a similar length.

The primary objective of the highways map is to create much more accurate financial information such as distinguishing between a $30 plastic bollard and a $250 iron bollard. Condition, meanwhile, provides an indicator of likely replacement costs; further improving the financial modelling. “Knowing the value and predicting future costs is the key,” says Smith.

Contact: Mark Clarke, Mayrise Systems: Tel. +44 (0)1453 827 400, www.mayrise.co.uk