Turks and Caicos Islands: Road Surface and Passability Data (2020-2024)

Arterial road surface, width, and passability metrics for the Turks and Caicos Islands are derived from 2020 and 2024 PlanetScope satellite imagery by HeiGIT. The data covers approximately 100 km of road segments, integrating OpenStreetMap (OSM) attributes with deep-learning predictions to resolve missing surface tags.

Use Cases

• Evaluating logistical accessibility for relief vehicles using the 'Humanitarian Passability Index (HPI)'
• Identifying infrastructure improvements by analyzing 'Road Surface Change' between 2020 and 2024
• Supplementing missing OSM 'surface' tags with 'DL Surface Prediction' for more accurate routing

Strengths

• Surface model accuracy of 89.2% significantly outperforms standard OSM surface tags (64.7%)
• Provides 2020-2024 temporal change detection for road paving
• Standardized width classification based on physical vehicle capacity (e.g., >5.5m for two-lane heavy trucks)

Limitations

• Small geographic scope limited to the Turks and Caicos Islands
• Restricted to high-level arterial road classifications
• Contains 'Unknown' surface predictions where AI confidence was insufficient

Provenance

Source

HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology)

Collection Method

Deep learning models applied to PlanetScope satellite imagery combined with OpenStreetMap road network data.

Time Range

2020 - 2024

Freshness

Last updated March 2026; utilizes satellite imagery from 2020 and 2024.

Geography

Turks and Caicos Islands