A digital map of the pipes and cables which run underneath London is to be created, to help reduce the disruption caused when they are struck by mistake.
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The Mayor of London’s Office has been awarded a share of £3.9m by the Government's Geospatial Commission as one of two national pilots to create a digital map of the utilities and pipes below ground.
The scheme will allow workers to see underground pipes and cables on mobile phones or laptop computers before they start a dig. This will help to reduce disruption on the roads through better planning and more coordination between infrastructure providers and local authorities.
It is estimated that the cost to the UK’s economy of accidental strikes on underground pipes and cables is £1.2bn a year. Workers who hit gas and electric pipes by mistake can also put themselves in danger of death or serious injury.
Known as London's Underground Asset Register (LUAR), the scheme will operate across six local authorities that are currently being selected. The Mayor’s Office is working closely with utilities, transport providers, and other partners to create the digital map. A similar project is also underway in Sunderland.
Currently, different organisations have their own maps showing where such things as gas pipes and electricity cables are, but the lack of a combined map creates an increased risk of potentially lethal accidents.
The project is supported by the Mayor’s Infrastructure High Level Group and fits within the Smarter London Together roadmap.
LUAR builds on an initiative led by Thames Water with support from TfL and other utilities called the Highways Asset Data Exchange System’ ‘HADES,’ a proof of concept that created a similar map for smaller areas of London. Using the platform provided by Ordnance Survey, the pilot will map underground assets in six local authorities to test the unique challenges associated with dense urban areas.
LUAR is one of two pilots commissioned by the Geospatial Commission. The other pilot, led by Ordnance Survey in the North East, will look into the technical feasibility of creating a national underground asset register for data sharing. It will also test a number of use cases. ■