Transformative Mapping Project Sets Stage For City Paving Plan
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Golden Triangle Planning and Development District (GTPDD) in Columbus used a vehicle-mounted mapping system to measure, photograph, and grade each roadway in Water Valley.
WATER VALLEY — A street-by-street digital mapping project completed this month could lead to what Mayor Tommy Reynolds calls a “transformative paving program” for Water Valley, a plan that uses scientific data, not guesswork, to guide investment in future infrastructure improvements.
The city is the first in north Mississippi to complete a comprehensive digital street-mapping project using advanced LiDAR technology, giving officials an accurate, centimeter-level assessment of every city street. The work was completed by the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District (GTPDD) in Columbus, which used a vehicle-mounted mapping system to measure, photograph, and grade each roadway.
Reynolds said the project began after he attended a municipal conference earlier this year and learned about GTPDD’s mapping capabilities.
“I was really impressed with what they were doing,” Reynolds said. “They’ve handled redistricting for over 30 counties and are one of the most technologically advanced planning districts in the state. When I realized they could work outside their normal district, I jumped at the opportunity to get Water Valley involved.”
Using a Trimble MX-50 mobile mapping unit, GTPDD collected detailed LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery by driving every public street in Water Valley. The system sends out two million laser pulses per second, measuring the surface of the roadway down to the centimeter.
“The lasers are so precise they’re almost survey-grade,” said Toby Sanford, GTPDD’s Geographic Information Systems Director. “It measures elevation, surface changes, and imperfections such as potholes, ruts, and bumps. Then the software assigns each street a pavement-condition rating from zero to 100 — with 100 being the best.”
Each street was also filmed using a panoramic camera similar to Google Street View, but with much higher resolution and full city coverage. “Google doesn’t drive every street, and some of their images are more than a decade old,” Sanford said. “This system gives Water Valley a current, high-accuracy view of every roadway.”
Reynolds said the city now has a complete list ranking every street from best to worst. Baker Street topped the list with a 97, while several others — including Calhoun, Dupuy, and Young streets — scored below 30.
“It’s not just one neighborhood or one ward,” Reynolds said. “Every part of town has needs. Now we can see exactly where they are, street by street.”
The mayor said the grading system will help the city spend its limited paving funds where they are most needed. “We don’t have unlimited money,” he said. “But this gives us a scientific guide so we can address the worst sections first.”
Sanford said the data allows the city to view road conditions in short segments, as small as 100 feet. “Instead of overlaying an entire mile, you might just resurface a quarter-mile that’s really bad,” he said. “It helps stretch the budget and make the repairs that matter most.”
The mapping project cost the city about $8,000, which Reynolds called “money well spent” considering the amount of data received.
In addition to street conditions, the system captured the location of 2,334 light poles and nearly 900 street signs, data that can later be refined for accuracy. “This information will also support our 911 addressing system, utility mapping, drainage planning, and even future engineering design,” Reynolds said. “It’s not just about pavement — it’s about managing city assets smarter.”
Sanford said the city now owns all of the imagery and point-cloud data, meaning it can be integrated into a GIS system or posted on the city website for public viewing. “It’s not Google’s data — it belongs to Water Valley,” he said. “You can create 3-D models, elevation maps, and cross-sections. It’s a huge baseline for planning.”
Reynolds said the city’s engineering firm, Willis Engineering, will now review the data and help develop a new paving plan. He is proposing a $1.1 million paving program that would be financed through a 10-year bond repaid with the city’s Use Tax Dividends — money generated from what is commonly called the state’s internet sales tax.
In 2025, Water Valley received $267,751.58 from Use Tax Dividends. Reynolds said those funds could support bond payments while still leaving money available for other street needs.
“I got an attorney general’s opinion a few years ago confirming that Use Tax proceeds can be used to repay a bond for street work,” Reynolds said. “This revenue was created primarily for infrastructure, and it makes sense to put it to work.”
He said the bond would be repaid using about 50 to 60 percent of the city’s annual Use Tax receipts. “We could leverage around $1.1 million and repay it over ten years,” Reynolds said. “Interest rates are down a little, and this would allow us to do a transformative paving program without over-committing future budgets.”
Reynolds said the goal is to begin engineering work in 2025 and construction in 2026. The project could include resurfacing, sealing, and targeted repairs on the city’s most deteriorated streets.
“This is not a fix-all, but it’s a heck of a start,” Reynolds said. “By using the LiDAR data, we can base our work on actual street conditions rather than guesswork or politics. It takes favoritism out of the equation — it’s about where the need really is.”
He added that the program’s impact would be visible across the city. “If you start seeing work here, here, and here — in every ward — people will realize it’s being done fairly and strategically,” he said. “This could truly be a transformative project for Water Valley.”
