The future of highways: AI’s role in transforming infrastructure

The UK government’s recently unveiled response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan promises to harness artificial intelligence to revolutionise public services, boost economic productivity, and improve living standards. Highways, a critical part of national infrastructure, are central to this vision. With AI’s potential to enhance road maintenance, minimise delays, and improve safety, the plan outlines a future where innovation drives better outcomes for the public and businesses alike.

However, turning ambition into impact requires more than aspirations. It demands robust, scalable solutions that can address the pressing challenges of today’s road networks while laying the groundwork for a smarter future.

The highway challenge: A system under pressure

Highways in the UK are the backbone of our economy and daily life. However, they face increasing strain:

• Congestion Costs: Road delays cost the UK economy £7.5 billion annually. 
• Potholes and Deterioration: Poor road conditions contribute to vehicle damage, accidents, and rising public dissatisfaction. 
• Maintenance Backlogs: Addressing the current backlog would take over a decade and cost £16.3 billion. 
• Limited asset data: Asset holders often face challenges in maintaining accurate and comprehensive data about the state of their networks. National Highways has valued asset data at £60 billion, highlighting its critical importance to efficient network management.

These issues are exacerbated by limited budgets, ageing infrastructure, and the challenges of coordinating across local authorities, contractors, and stakeholders. Without smarter approaches, these problems will continue to get worse as traffic volumes grow.

AI’s promise for highways

The government’s blueprint highlights several ways AI could transform road management:

• Pothole Detection: Cameras powered by AI could identify road damage before it worsens.

• Streamlined Maintenance: AI-driven tools could accelerate planning, optimise resources, and reduce project timelines.

• National Data Library: Revolutionising decision-making and operational efficiency in highways with data-driven approaches, reducing congestion, improving maintenance, and increasing user satisfaction.

These advancements can reshape the way highways are maintained, delivering tangible economic and social benefits. Yet, the path from concept to implementation requires addressing significant gaps in strategy, such as public engagement, stakeholder coordination, and measurable metrics of success.

Where the response falls short  

While a positive step forward for the investment in AI, the government response lacks an emphasis on urgency and specificity. Some key areas of further clarity required for the Highways industry in particular include; 

• Actionable Deployment of AI in Road Maintenance: While the government highlights the potential of AI to detect potholes and improve road quality, rapid follow-up planning is fundamental to develop clear and actionable change.

• Proactive vs Reactive Maintenance: The response prioritises reactive measures, such as addressing potholes after they occur, rather than adopting a proactive approach to tackle key industry challenges more effectively.

• Coordination Across Stakeholders: The government blueprint doesn’t address the complexities of coordinating between local authorities, contractors, and public stakeholders during AI implementation. 

We are eager to see the government’s detailed roadmap for executing the outlined recommendations. It is clear to the sector that timing really is essential here. There is an urgent and pressing need that requires the industry to act now. By ensuring robust collaboration, prioritising proven solutions, and maintaining an adaptive approach, the plan can position AI as a transformative force across sectors. With thoughtful implementation, AI can play a pivotal role in creating safer, smarter, and more sustainable road networks, benefiting both industry and society.

Bridging the gap: FYLD’s AI-driven solutions

While pilot programs, as highlighted in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, are valuable for assessing the potential of emerging technologies, the highways industry already has access to proven AI solutions that deliver measurable benefits in safety, efficiency, and cost reduction. The focus should now shift toward rapid deployment of these tools to ensure innovation translates into tangible improvements without delay. By prioritising established technologies like FYLD’s AI-powered platform, the industry can move beyond cautious experimentation and embrace a proactive approach to transforming road maintenance and infrastructure.

At FYLD, we’ve already developed and deployed the tools needed to bring this vision to life. Our AI-powered platform and smart-workflows address the key challenges outlined in the government’s plan while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in road maintenance.

• Real-Time Insights: Our platform provides actionable data, enabling proactive identification and triage of road damage and hazards
• AI-Enabled Workflows: From initial detection to repair, FYLD supports a 80% reduction  in planning time, minimising job aborts and ensuring resources are used efficiently through real-time collaboration 
• Safety First: FYLD’s AI-supported video risk assessments and remote manager visibility have proven to reduce incidents by 20% and service strikes by up to 85%, protecting workers and the public
  
  

A Smarter, safer future for highways

The government’s AI blueprint sets the stage for transformative change. FYLD is ready to deliver the solutions needed to make this vision a reality. By leveraging our proven technology, highway authorities and contractors can move beyond traditional inefficiencies to build a smarter, safer, and more efficient network.

On the back of this announcement, Highways magazine and FYLD are hosting a Symposium on Artificial Intelligence on 26th February. This Symposium will bring together key decision-makers and thought leaders in the highways and infrastructure sector to address what has become a critical industry challenge – making the most of revolutionary AI technology.

“AI is the most transformational innovation since the internet. Any organisation not evolving to take account of it will in all likelihood be badly left behind. The highways sector has made some very impressive early developments in this area, most notably in terms of road condition monitoring, with at least one council switching from manual inspections to solely using video and AI technology to log and programme pothole repairs. However, there are many other major opportunities to pursue and improvements to be discovered. This is why Highways magazine is very proud to be working closely with FYLD on an AI symposium in February, where some of the biggest names in our sector will help discuss the key issues around this vital agenda. If we don’t move forward we will fail in our duty to provide the best value for money to the public, however as with any nascent or developing market there will be a lot of hype and many pitfalls to avoid. We hope a collective effort can remove some of the risks and point a way towards principles that work for all.”

- Dominic Brown, Highways Magazine Editor 

“As a company at the forefront of AI-driven innovation, we’re thrilled to see the UK Government’s ambitious blueprint for leveraging AI to transform industries, including highways. At FYLD, we know firsthand how technology can create safer, smarter, and more efficient roads, and this announcement validates the importance of the work we do. Detecting potholes in real-time, streamlining roadworks, and reducing congestion aren’t just technical achievements, but rather improving the daily lives of everyone who uses our roads. We’re excited to contribute to this vision and partner with the government to turn these plans into tangible results for communities across the UK.”

- Joshua Wood, FYLD Client Director 

The journey to the future of highways starts today. FYLD is here to pave the way. Contact us for a demo and discover how we can transform your road maintenance operations.