Development and implementation of the national computer mapping system (the Japanese road administration information system)

The Japanese Road Administration Information System(ROADIS) is a national project to create a computer mapping system which will provide information on roads and utilities both to road administrators and to public utility organizations through communication networks. In Japan, the roles of roads have diversifies. In particular, their role as space for public utilities is growing in importance. In modern urban areas, the space beneath roadways are filled with complex networks of utility lines that provide gas, electricity, telephone, water and sewage services. It is no longer possible to efficiently store and access the huge and growing amount of complex information which is currently in the form of handdrawn diagrams and documents. Road administrators and utility companies have long viewed computer mapping technology as a possible solution to this problem and have held high expectations for its practical utilization in the effective execution of road-occupancy-related work. The result is the establishment of ROADIC (Road Administration Information Center) which is charged with building a new road information system (ROADIS) based on the latest computer mapping technology.