Every year four million holes are dug in the nation's roads for repairs but inaccurate or incomplete records mean much of the digging is in the wrong place.
The first computer-based maps are to be developed at Leeds University to help save millions of pounds and reduce deaths and injuries caused by workers accidentally hitting pipes and cables.
The £2.2m research project aims to integrate existing records of pipes and use new technologies to pinpoint "lost" pipes. There is an estimated eight million miles of pipes and cables.
The details would be bought together in an easy-to-understand format .
Digging holes in roads currently costs £1bn a year and a further £4bn is wasted in delays and congestion.
A reduction of just 0.1 per cent in digging would save millions of pounds a year.
The four-year research project will start with mapping up to six pilot areas and, if successful, will cover the rest of the country.
Tony Cohn of Leeds University, said: "We'll always need to dig holes in the street, but reducing the amount of roadworks would bring enormous economic and environmental benefits.
"From a human point of view, we also hope to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries every year from accidental hits.
"Many of the country's underground pipes were laid in the 19th and early 20th century, when it wasn't seen as important to keep accurate records.
"Even where we have records, many are now very inaccurate. Our aim is to create the technology to enable the construction of a dynamic map of all the UK's underground assets."
The research is being carried out at Leeds and Nottingham universities in collaboration with 19 companies, including Yorkshire Water, which currently digs around 70,000 holes a year.