By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

WORKS Minister Clay Sweeting says his ministry plans to introduce new technologies to tackle potholes and road damage across New Providence, including using artificial intelligence to identify roads in need of paving.

His comments to reporters yesterday came as the ministry prepares to ramp up road paving efforts following weeks of heavy rainfall.

Mr Sweeting blamed the recent weather for worsening road conditions and creating additional potholes across New Providence and pledged to address the problem. He said the ministry was exploring additional repair methods, including technologies he observed during a recent visit to the United Kingdom.

"In the next few months, we would hope that you see different ways of doing things," Mr Sweeting said, comparing pothole repairs to patching torn clothing.

He explained that the repatched areas often remained weak and were likely to deteriorate again, eventually requiring full repaving.

"So, the ministry's view," he added, "is to ramp up paving and to also include other ways of technology to try to make the ride a little smoother in those areas where you see a lot of potholes."

Mr Sweeting also said the ministry had begun using an artificial intelligence application across New Providence to assess road conditions and identify streets requiring repairs.

"What happens with the app is it automatically determines by camera and by sensation what roads need to be paved and what roads have shorter time frame in regards to suitability for driving,” he said.

He added that his ministry was engaging additional private contractors to expand its paving schedule over the coming months.

He said the ministry hopes to pave between 50 and 60 miles of roads this year through private contractors, with the possibility of reaching as many as 100 miles.

Meanwhile, Mr Sweeting also announced that temporary repairs to the Fresh Creek Bridge in Central Andros were expected to be completed by the end of this week.

Mr Sweeting said he had spoken with the contractor, who anticipated completing the work, which involves jacking up the bridge to reinforce the damaged structure.

The bridge, which connects Andros Town and Coakley Town, required repairs in August after engineers discovered that an intermediate support had sunk, shifting weight onto other supports and causing three sections of the structure to drop by approximately nine inches.

The government previously abandoned plans to construct a temporary bridge after contractors estimated it would cost more than $10m, opting instead to repair the existing structure for approximately $400,000, while pursuing plans for a permanent replacement.