Bahrain Road Surface and Passability: AI-Derived Metrics for 900km of Arterial Roads

Covering approximately 900 km of arterial roads in Bahrain, featuring AI-derived surface types and width classifications. Developed by HeiGIT, it utilizes PlanetScope satellite imagery from 2020 and 2024 to augment OpenStreetMap data for motorway, trunk, primary, and secondary road classes.

Use Cases

• Logistics planning using the Humanitarian Passability Index (HPI) to assess route accessibility for heavy trucks
• Infrastructure monitoring by tracking Road Surface Change (2020-2024) to identify newly paved segments
• Fleet management using Road Width Class to determine vehicle size constraints for specific segments

Strengths

• 89.2% surface prediction accuracy
• Multi-temporal coverage comparing 2020 and 2024
• Standardized Humanitarian Passability Index (HPI) for logistics

Limitations

• Geographic scope is limited to Bahrain
• Excludes minor road classifications like residential or service roads
• AI-derived labels may contain errors despite high validation accuracy

Provenance

Source

HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology)

Collection Method

Deep learning analysis of PlanetScope satellite imagery integrated with OpenStreetMap road network data.

Time Range

2020-2024

Freshness

Based on satellite imagery from 2020 and 2024; last updated March 2026.

Geography

Bahrain