Brenham, TX

Beginning next week, the City of Brenham residents may notice a different kind of van around town, in your neighborhoods, and parks. The specialized van, known as a Laser Road Surface Tester (LRST), is measuring and performing an analysis of the city's street pavement roughness, rutting, cracking, and sidewalk conditions. In addition, the LRST is also collecting right-of-way data using four digital video cameras mounted inside the van and Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) lasers.

The City has contracted with Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) to use their state-of-the-art technology to collect data regarding road conditions within the city limits. The van is equipped with a GPS and cameras with lasers that span 12 feet. Assistant City Manager, Donald Reese states, “This technology is invaluable for us because this type of assessment helps us prioritize projects and know how to allocate funds.” Reese continues, “Our visual inspections can only get us so far. This allows us to see every crack in the road even when they are invisible to the naked eye – the lasers capture it in detail.” The City hopes to use this data to be proactive and prevent issues before they begin.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call 979-337-7400. The City asks that if you see the IMS van on the road or happen to get behind it as it is collecting data, to be patient. It will be in town for only 2-3 days.