Chapter 2: TxDOT-Utility Cooperative Management Process and Subprocess

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Section 1: TxDOT Utility Cooperative Management Process - “The Process”

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Overview

The TXDOT-Utility Cooperative Management Process (“The Process”) is a system of cooperative planning, design and construction coordination associated with the accommodation of highway-utility joint occupancy. This method will minimize conflicts and construction delays, thereby eliminating or reducing contractor claims

The four major procedures used to accomplish the adjustment and accommodation of reimbursable utility facilities on TxDOT projects are listed below. The first three are available as flowcharts in PDF format.

For detailed information about procedures, refer to:

  • State Utility Procedure (SUP)
  • Federal Utility Procedure (FUP)
  • Local Utility Procedure (LUP)

The Overview of Utility Adjustment flowchart shows an overview of utility and engineering tasks and may be viewed and/or downloaded in PDF format.

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Exchange of Preliminary Information: Annual Meeting - Process Activity I

  • Participants
  1. Responsible Party
    • TxDOT District Engineer/Area Engineer/Regional or Special Office
  2. Necessary Parties
    • TxDOT Area Engineer or designee
    • TxDOT Right of Way Representative
    • Utility Representative
    • Local Participant Representative
  3. Interested Parties
    • FHWA Representative(s)
    • TxDOT Utility Liaison
    • TxDOT Environmental Representative
    • TxDOT Advance Planning Engineer
  • Objectives
    1. Cooperative TxDOT-Utility Industry discussion of Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
    2. Provide STIP project listing with information presented in a utility friendly format.
    3. Discussion of projects from utility perspective to identify potential utility conflicts and impacts.
  • Activity Narrative

    This meeting is held each year following approval of the TxDOT STIP. Prior to the meeting, a “utility friendly” chronological listing of the upcoming year’s proposed construction letting schedule should be prepared for general distribution to local utility industry representatives. This “utility friendly” project listing is prepared with focus on TxDOT projects and project information of particular interest to utilities and in a format that is clear and understandable to the public. In order to insure clarity, it is recommended that the project listing be prepared as a cooperative TxDOT-Utility effort. Projects should be listed in chronological order by proposed letting. Project categories without utility impacts should be eliminated from this customized listing (i.e., overlays, pavement markings, and maintenance contracts). The Annual Meeting is conducted by TxDOT and is intended to provide a forum for discussion of the TxDOT construction schedule with local utilities. Particular emphasis is placed on early awareness of the major utility concerns associated with accommodating TxDOT construction. Early communication of this type provides utilities with the opportunity to do fiscal planning for upcoming construction with consideration given to utility budget cycles, construction schedules, and consumer service requirements.

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Exchange of Project Specific Information: Initial Project Notification - Process Activity II

  • Participants
  1. Responsible Party
    • TxDOT Project Design Engineer
  2. Necessary Parties
    • Local Agency Representative
    • Utility Liaison
    • TxDOT Design Consultant
    • TxDOT Right of Way Representative
    • TxDOT Utility Liaison
  3. Interested Parties
    • TxDOT Design Team
    • TxDOT Environmental Representative
    • TxDOT Advance Planning Engineer
    • Other TxDOT Parties as Applicable
  • Objectives
  1. Provide preliminary project description, scope, and letting schedule to utilities.
  2. Set date for preliminary design meeting.
  3. Identify TxDOT Project Design Engineer & TxDOT Design Consultant if appropriate.
  4. Request identities of utility contacts to be assigned to the TxDOT project.
  5. Request block maps/mark ups from utilities.
  • Activity Narrative

    Prerequisites to the Initial Project Notification include completion of a preliminary schematic or other general representation of the proposed project layout. The TxDOT Project Design Engineer has been appointed and, if applicable, a TxDOT Design Consultant has been retained. A list of potentially impacted utilities is compiled, right of way mapping has begun, and TxDOT is ready to begin design of the facility. This activity in “The Process” will typically take the form of a project specific letter of information prepared for distribution to all known utilities and other concerned parties. The purpose of the Initial Project Notification is to advise utilities of the general characteristics of an upcoming TxDOT project and to provide an illustration of the project footprint for mark-up of utility facility locations, which occupy the project area. The notification will also introduce the Responsible Party and other TxDOT contacts for the project and request the submittal of utility block maps, as-built plans or system drawings to indicate utility facility locations and other features. The Initial Project Notification will announce the time and location of the Preliminary Design Meeting (Process Activity III) below and should be sent out no less than two weeks before to insure full attendance and to allow adequate time for compiling requested information by the utilities.

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Exchange of Project Specific Information: Preliminary Design Meeting - Process Activity III

  • Participants
  1. Responsible Party
    • TxDOT Project Design Engineer
  2. Necessary Parties
    • Utility Representatives
    • Utility Design Representative
    • TxDOT Design Consultant
    • TxDOT Utility Liaison
    • TxDOT Right of Way Representative
  3. Interested Parties
    • TxDOT Advance Planning Engineer
    • TxDOT Design Team
    • TxDOT Environmental Representative
    • Other TxDOT Parties as Applicable
    • LPA Parties as Applicable
  • Objectives
  1. Discuss TxDOT preliminary design and schedule.
  2. Introduce TxDOT and Utility Representatives.
  3. Discussion of TxDOT Utility concerns:
    • Utility Accommodation Rules (UAR)
    • Reimbursement eligibility criteria
    • Expected magnitude of impact
  4. Action plan for accurate utility locations:
    • Subsurface information provider
    • Response time and schedule of provider
  5. Establish the level of utility involvement for each utility.
  6. Set date or identify milestone for Design conference (Process Activity V).
  • Activity Narrative
  1. The Preliminary Design Meeting is held within approximately two weeks of the Initial Project Notification (Process Activity II). This meeting is different from the Design Conference. At this meeting, TxDOT and Utility Design Representatives will be introduced, including any consultants that they may use in the design process. TxDOT will describe the proposed improvements, the anticipated schedule and potential impact on utilities. The discussion of TxDOT design will include those items of particular interest to utilities, such as drainage facilities, typical sections, structures, and other roadside features. TxDOT’s UAR and reimbursement eligibility criteria will be explained at this time. It is important to identify conditions that would prevent compliance with the UAR and propose potential solutions.
  2. An action plan for locating affected utility facilities can be developed after a determination has been made whether the field verification is to be accomplished jointly or independently. Concerns to be addressed in the action plan are as follows:
    • The immediate need for horizontal and vertical alignment information
    • Physical constraints affecting the methods and equipment to be used in the locating process
    • Anticipated schedule and response time of the information provider(s)
  3. During the Preliminary Design Meeting, a determination will be made regarding the level of utility involvement for each utility. Those identified as being Level 3 require no further involvement. Those identified as being Level 2 or Level 1 will continue as active participants in “The Process.”
  4. Because of the above discussion, a milestone will be identified or a date set for the Design Conference (Process Activity V). An appropriate milestone is a project related activity that triggers the need to start detailed design coordination (i.e., completion of drainage design or availability of field verification information).
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Exchange of Project Specific Information: Field Verification - Process Activity IV

  • Participants
  1. Responsible Party
    • TxDOT Project Design Engineer
  2. Necessary Parties
    • Utility Design Representative
    • TxDOT Design Consultant
    • TxDOT Design Team
  3. Interested Parties
    • Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Provider
    • TxDOT Utility Liaison
    • TxDOT Construction & Maintenance
    • Other TxDOT Parties as Applicable
  • Objectives
  1. Identify ownership of utility facilities.
  2. Determine accurate horizontal and vertical locations.
  3. Utility locations identified in terms of TxDOT Control Datum.
  • Activity Narrative
  1. Accurate Field Verification of some utility facilities on complex projects will be required to design TxDOT features to avoid conflicts, to relocate the utility or to conclude that neither is necessary. The extent of information needed, and the information provider for each facility, will have been decided by mutual agreement between the TxDOT Project Design Engineer and the Utility Design Representative at the Preliminary Design Meeting (Process Activity III). It should be noted that in some situations, this information would not be warranted. For instance, if it is obvious that relocation is imperative, such as an existing overhead pole line located in the proposed pavement, additional verification is an unnecessary expense.
  2. Field Verification information can be obtained from a number of sources: the utility's forces, a utility design consultant, TxDOT survey or maintenance crews, a One-Call locator service, or a SUE provider. In order for a utility to incur reimbursable costs