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Avoiding Utility Relocations
Appendix C: Summary
Prepared By The
AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Right-of-Way and Utilities
January 21, 2000
Guideline
Use current available technology to the greatest extent possible.
- Best Practices
- Use Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) for projects where underground utilities are present and high quality levels of information are needed for design purposes.
- Require utility company certification of as-builts and encourage development of a CADD database system and electronic transfer system.
Guideline
Encourage frequent coordination and communication with local governmental agencies to reduce delivery time, reduce costs, and improve quality in the utilities process.
- Best Practice
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Work with local governmental jurisdictions to establish pavement cutting criteria and backfill requirements.
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Guideline
Encourage frequent coordination and communication with utility companies to reduce delivery time, reduce costs, and improve quality in the utilities process.
- Best Practices
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Provide utility companies with long-range highway construction schedules.
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Host meetings with utility companies to discuss future highway projects.
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Recognize the importance of long-range highway/utility coordination.
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Organize periodic (monthly, quarterly, annual) meetings with utility owners within a municipality, county, or geographic or highway planning region.
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Solicit similar information on utility owners' capital construction programs, particularly where a utility's planned expansion or reconstruction may encroach on and coincide with a planned highway project.
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Consider using the long-range meeting as a convenient forum to discuss other highway/utility issues, such as accommodation policies, reimbursement, etc.
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Provide utility companies with a notice of proposed highway improvements and preliminary plans as early in the development of highway projects as possible.
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Involve utility companies in the design phase of highway projects where major relocations are anticipated.
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Conduct on-site utility meetings or utility plan-in-hands with utility companies to determine utility conflicts and resolution.
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Participate in local one-call notification programs to the maximum extent practicable per state law.
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Invite utility companies to preconstruction meetings and encourage or require utility companies, contractors, and project staff to hold regular meetings, as deemed appropriate, during the construction phase of a project.
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Guideline
Improve contract, internal project development, and training processes to expedite utility relocation.
- Best Practices
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Use standardized utility agreements.
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Initiate separate contracts for advance roadway work on selected projects prior to utility relocation.
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Set forth responsibilities for appropriate action to reduce delays to contractors.
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Provide utility special provision language in the construction contract.
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Avoid late plan changes.
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Have highway contractors relocate utility and municipal facilities, when possible.
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Acquire sufficient right-of-way for utilities purposes.
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Provide training to DOT utility staff and utility companies' staff.
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