Surrey uses AI to detect and repair potholes

Surrey County Council has become the first local authority in the UK to adopt AI to identify and address potholes, aiming to accelerate road repairs across the county. This innovation represents a significant step forward in ensuring safer and more efficient road maintenance.

Using computer vision cameras installed on highway vehicles, the system photographs and automatically records potholes for repair. This eliminates the need for Highways Inspectors to manually step onto roads for inspections, enhancing both safety and productivity. Future iterations of the technology will extend to identifying other issues, such as missing signs and overgrown foliage, for repair scheduling.

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, emphasised the council’s commitment to improving road conditions across the county.

“We have some of the country’s busiest roads and we’re working incredibly hard to improve them, with nearly £300 million allocated to repairing and improving Surrey’s roads and pavements over the next five years (2023–2028),” he said.

“Adopting this technology will mean we can proactively log and fix potholes, helping to ensure we have well-maintained roads for our residents. From April to December 2024 alone, our highways teams resurfaced 100 miles of roads and 30 miles of pavements, making the network more resilient and reducing the number of potholes in the future.”

Furniss also highlighted the council’s leadership in leveraging AI: “I’m pleased that we are pioneering AI technology to detect potholes as championed by the government just this week.”

The council has collaborated with Route Reports, a technology provider specialising in AI-powered road maintenance solutions. The partnership involved extensive trials to refine the defect detection platform, ensuring it meets the practical needs of road maintenance teams.

Connell McLaughlin, CEO of Route Reports, praised the collaboration: “Surrey County Council has been instrumental in developing our AI road maintenance platform. Their feedback and hands-on involvement have helped us create a solution that addresses real-world challenges, making roads safer, more efficient, and sustainable.”

Surrey’s adoption of AI technology marks a transition away from traditional manual inspections to fully digital methods. The council’s use of video and AI technology exclusively to log and schedule pothole repairs sets a precedent for other local authorities in the UK.

The system also tracks potholes that do not require immediate attention, ensuring timely repairs when necessary. Meanwhile, residents can still report and monitor road and pavement issues via the council’s website.

By integrating AI, Surrey County Council demonstrates its commitment to innovation, road safety, and sustainability, laying the groundwork for a smarter approach to public infrastructure management.