The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced Monday that it will be using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to improve road construction efficiency and safety around the state…

MDOT said it had purchased LiDAR drones to add to its fleet of vehicles that use LiDAR to take measurements and map out road construction projects. Mississippi is one of the first states in the southeast to use LiDAR drone technology in state transportation work, the department said.

The drones allow MDOT workers to perform their fieldwork much faster than traditional measuring tools. The technology also increases safety for MDOT workers, greatly reducing their time on the job near or in moving traffic.