Artificial intelligence to help Lower Burrell public works save money, plan road repairs

Lower Burrell officials expect to save a few thousand dollars annually by using artificial intelligence software to determine the quality of city roads.

Council on April 14 approved a five-year agreement with Vialytics of New Jersey at a cost of $11,520 annually plus a setup fee of $2,875.

“By implementing Vialytics software, the city can expect to save between $5,000 and $10,000 annually through more efficient road inspections, reduced reliance on third-party assessments and earlier detection of road issues,” City Manager Greg Primm said.

“The AI-powered system captures and analyzes road conditions in real time, allowing our public works team to respond more quickly and cost-effectively,” he said. “These improvements help us lower labor costs, prevent expensive repairs through proactive maintenance and support better planning and budgeting.”

Lower Burrell has about 78 miles of roads within its limits with 52 miles maintained by the city. Twenty-six miles of roads are state roads.

The city, in May, will get the equipment and begin to train its public works crew to use it, City Councilman David Stoltz said. He anticipates implementation in June.

Vialytics will provide iPhones that will capture data every 10 feet on roads traveled by public works crew members. The artificial intelligence will identify potential issues.

That data will be uploaded and organized so city staff can identify which areas are in greatest need of improvement. The technology can identify 15 types of road damage, as well as problems with traffic signs, manhole covers and other issues.

“It will give us a much better assessment than we’ve ever had,” Stoltz said.

According to Vialytics’ website, more than 1,000 municipalities use its software, including Hempfield in Westmoreland County.

“It’s a proven technology,” Stoltz said. “It’s used by several other communities in the area. The overall net benefit is to save money and manpower.”