The core focus of the project was to complete right-of-way to right-of-way mapping of all topography and infrastructure. Key deliverables included planimetric mapping, imagery, and a geospatial asset inventory to support implementation of an enterprise asset management system.

1. CONTINENTAL MAPPING
www.continentalmapping.com
888.815.3327
PROJECT PROFILE: Minnesota Department of Transportation
Mobile Lidar
Congress’ passage of MAP-21 on July 6, 2012 created a mandate for
having an asset management plan to track the condition and performance
of roadways and bridges. An accurate geospatial inventory of all the trans-
portation assets within a corridor is critical for effective long term viability
and supports the need for more cost effective approaches to managing
transportation assets. However, an inventory is more than just a simple
diagram showing what exists. The inventory must include detailed descrip-
tions of all components that comprise an asset, installation dates, manufac-
turer, and warranty information, as well as details pertaining to its condition.
Asset management is typically done at lesser accuracies but mobile lidar
offers the opportunity collect this information at up-to survey-grade accura-
cy.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) 694 project is a
great example of a project addressing these needs. The interstate is an
auxiliary beltway that allows I-94 traffic to flow north around the Twin Cities,
and a main route for commuters in the northern suburbs and sees a large
amount of freight traffic, making it a priority corridor. The infrastructure is
complicated by densely packed communities and intricate.
Key requirements for the project included safety of all field work, speed of
data collection, processing, and delivery, creating all the mapping products to support design, and generating a geospa-
tial asset inventory to support implementation of an enterprise asset management system. Mobile lidar addressed the
field safety issue by expediting data collection on the roadways. Mapping products extracted from the mobile lidar
included planimetric mapping (e.g., paint lines, edge of pavement, jersey barriers, bridge clearances, and signage), a
TIN of the surface for understanding water flow, and ground-based imagery. Continental Mapping utilized an integrated
forward facing high definition camera to acquire all sign features and populate an ArcGIS GeoDatabase for eventual
use with MnDOT’s enterprise asset management (EAM) system. MnDOT plans to use this data and EAM for more
effective inventorying, budgeting, and replacement scheduling.
All roadway mapping completed within this project is being integrated with another I-694 project focused on infrastruc-
ture evaluation and planning. MnDOT has engaged Continental Mapping to complete 1”=100’ mapping and digital
orthophotos from aerial imagery for areas beyond the hard surfaces for the same corridor. The integration of these
projects offers MnDOT a final dataset that will support numerous needs and meet their core goals of financial effective-
ness.