Route 55 Over West Oak Rd. (County Route 681)

MFS (formerly GEOD) was contracted to provide NJDOT Level 2 mapping for approximately 35 acres in Vineland, NJ along Route 55 over West Oak Road. The corridor mapping job consisted of a mile long stretch of roadway along Route 55 centered on the West Oak Road overpass at a width of ~250’. A smaller corridor of mapping on West Oak Road (CR 681) was also required at a length of approximately 1,300’, centered at the overpass, at a width of ~200’.

NJDOT had established that this bridge was structurally deficient and in need of remediation, so they requested topographic mapping of the surrounding travel corridor. MFS (formerly GEOD) chose to leverage its aerial mapping division for this effort. The deliverables were 1” =30’ planimetric mapping (all visible), a ground surface DTM, an orthophoto of the project area along with a comprehensive GNSS control report. This data will be used for preliminary remediation design and/or construction planning.

To accomplish these objectives, MFS employed a multifaceted approach that leveraged two separate platforms for data acquisition:

• Traditional Fixed-Wing Aircraft: MFS utilized a fixed wing airplane equipped with a high accuracy digital photogrammetric camera. This platform was employed for image capture and subsequent stereo mapping and orthophotography and provided a reliable and established method for data acquisition.

• sUAS With Mounted LiDAR Sensor: To tackle obscured areas under tree cover and obtain accurate 3D ground data, MFS deployed an sUAS equipped with a multi-return lidar sensor. LiDAR technology enabled the acquisition of accurate 3D data even in the challenging environmental conditions of large stands of leaf-on deciduous trees and brush.

The utilization of multiple data acquisition platforms, including traditional fixed-wing aircraft and a sUAS with a multi-return LiDAR sensor, allowed MFS to meet and exceed the project’s objectives. The resulting geospatial data met the high accuracy requirements for hard surface mapping and provided valuable 3D ground surface data in areas with obscured visibility due to tree cover. MFS continues to leverage the most appropriate technology to meet the standards of the mapping industry and generate the appropriate final deliverables for our clients.