Highway Maintenance Workers

Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.

AI: Fully automatable - Surveying, measuring, and marking locations can be fully automated with drones, LiDAR/vision systems and small marking robots, making this task broadly automatable by 2025.

Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.

AI: Fully automatable - High-resolution imaging (drones/vehicle cameras) and computer-vision models can reliably detect and verify marker installation and report inaccuracies autonomously.

Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.

AI: Fully automatable - Blending adhesives is a controlled, repeatable process commonly automated with programmable mixers, dispensers, and process control systems.

Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.

AI: Partial - AI can plan and direct placement of signs and cones (and some robotic systems can deploy them), but widespread, fully autonomous physical deployment without human oversight is not common in 2025.

Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.

AI: Partial - Automated variable message signs and traffic control systems can replace some flagging functions, but direct interactive flagging of motorists in dynamic conditions still relies largely on humans.

Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.

AI: Partial - Predictive diagnostics, scheduling, and some automated maintenance tasks are mature, but hands‑on preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment still requires human technicians.

Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.

AI: Partial - Autonomous driving technology can handle many scheduled routes and freight tasks, but transporting crews (passenger safety, loading/unloading, regulatory and edge-case handling) still requires human oversight in 2025.

Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.

AI: Partial - Robotic arms, exoskeletons, and assisted tools can help with repetitive components of installing or repairing guardrails and lighting, but variable site conditions and fine manual dexterity mean full automation is not broadly feasible yet.

Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.

AI: Partial - Remote-controlled machines and inspection drones can clear and detect many drain blockages, but complex, confined, and variable culvert/structure conditions still require human intervention for a full solution.

Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.

AI: Partial - Autonomous mowers, sweepers, and snow/ice management prototypes exist and can perform many tasks, but mixed-traffic environments, attachment adjustments, and safety-critical decisions prevent full automation at scale by 2025.

Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.

AI: Partial - Autonomous haul and spread systems are emerging for controlled sites, yet the variability of washouts, precise grading, and safety/regulatory constraints mean humans are still needed for full execution.

Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.

AI: Partial - Inspection is increasingly automatable via drones, sensors, and CV, but cleaning and structural repairs remain largely manual and complex, so only partial automation is realistic now.

Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.

AI: Partial - Robotic sweepers and litter-collection equipment can handle routine debris, but unpredictable large debris from slides and complex clearance tasks still require human crews and supervision.

Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.

AI: Partial - Large-scale asphalt spreading and compaction are highly automated, but the specific dump/spread/tamp operations for repair patches and joint work still often require human skill or close supervision of machines.

Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.

AI: Partial - Automated sprayers and guided application systems can apply herbicides and some rodent treatments, but safety, environmental regulation, and targeted burrow treatments limit full autonomous deployment.

Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.

AI: Partial - Automated line-striping machines and guided systems can perform many traffic-painting tasks, but human setup, oversight, and handling of complex or constrained sites remain necessary in 2025.

Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.

AI: Partial - Autonomous mowing and some brush-clearing machines exist, but nuanced landscaping tasks like selective pruning, planting, and working near utilities/trees are not fully automatable yet.

Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.

AI: Partial - Vehicle-mounted sprayers and automated dosing can apply oil to road surfaces, but variable field conditions and required supervision limit full autonomy.

Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.

AI: Partial - Placing and removing snow fences involves manual handling, unpredictable terrain, and fine manipulation that current robotics and automation have not fully solved by 2025.