• ♦Manual Notice 2025-1
• ►1. Introduction
  • ►1. Utility Adjustment Overview
    • ♦Utility Adjustment Flowchart
    • ♦Transition Terms and Acronyms
    • ♦Glossary of Terms
    • ♦Utility Forms
  • ►2. Overview of the TxDOT-Utility Cooperative Management Process
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Distribution of Responsibilities
    • ♦Description of Procedures
    • ♦Parameters
  • ►3. Liaison between TxDOT and Utilities
    • ♦General
    • ♦General Accounting Office Report
  • ►4. Fiscal Responsibility
    • ♦Eligible Utilities
  • ►5. Programming and Authorization
    • ♦General
    • ♦Right of Way Releases for Utility Work
    • ♦Federal Project Authorization and Agreement (FPAA)
    • ♦Utility Reimbursement Policies (Interstate Highways)
    • ♦Utility Reimbursement Policies (US, State (TX), FM, and RM Highways)
• ►2. TxDOT-Utility Cooperative Management Process and Sub-process
  • ►1. TxDOT Utility Cooperative Management Process - “The Process”
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Exchange of Preliminary Information: Annual Meeting - Process Activity I
    • ♦Exchange of Project Specific Information: Initial Project Notification - Process Activity II
    • ♦Exchange of Project Specific Information: Preliminary Design Meeting - Process Activity III
    • ♦Exchange of Project Specific Information: Field Verification - Process Activity IV
    • ♦Design and Utility Construction Phase: Design Conference - Process Activity V
    • ♦Design and Utility Construction Phase: Intermediate Design Meeting(s) - Process Activity VI
    • ♦Design and Utility Construction Phase: Final Design & Initial Construction Coordination Meeting - Process Activity VII
    • ♦Design and Utility Construction Phase: Pre-letting Utility Meeting - Process Activity VIII
    • ♦Construction Phase: Utility Meeting After Award - Process Activity IX
    • ♦Construction Phase: Utility Coordination Meeting During Project Construction - Process Activity X
  • ►2. Right of Way Utility Adjustment Sub-process - “The Sub-process”
    • ♦Flowcharts
    • ♦Released - Limited for Preliminary Utility Activities - Right of Way Sub-process Activity I
    • ♦Field Verification - Right of Way Sub-process Activity II
    • ♦Federal Project Authorization and Agreement (FPAA)- Right of Way Sub-process Activity III (a)
    • ♦TxDOT-LPA Right of Way Contracts - Right of Way Sub-process Activity III (b)
    • ♦Right of Way Release - Right of Way Sub-process Activity IV
    • ♦Alternate Procedure Approval from FHWA - Right of Way Sub-process Activity V
    • ♦LPA Agreement to Contribute Funds - Right of Way Sub-process Activity VI
    • ♦Request for Determination of Eligibility - Right of Way Sub-process Activity VII
    • ♦District Approves Utility Consultant Contract - Right of Way Sub-process Activity VIII
    • ♦Prepare Utility Adjustment Assembly for Approval - Right of Way Sub-process Activity IX
    • ♦Perform Utility Adjustment - Right of Way Sub-process Activity XI
    • ♦Determination of Upper Limit - Right of Way Sub-process Activity XII
    • ♦Utility Payment Process - Right of Way Sub-process Activity XIII
  • ►3. Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Instructional Guide for the Utility Memorandum of Understanding
    • ♦MOU-Introduction Section
    • ♦MOU-The TxDOT-Utility Cooperative Management Process Section
    • ♦MOU-Standards for Installation Section
    • ♦MOU-Construction and Financial Considerations Section
    • ♦MOU-Utility Coordination Steering Committee Section
    • ♦MOU-Conclusions and Endorsements Section
• ►3. References for Utility Accommodation
  • ►1. Introduction
    • ♦Legal Requirement Categories
  • ►2. Federal Codes and Regulations
    • ♦United States Code (USC)
    • ♦Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
    • ♦National Electric Code (NEC)
    • ♦National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)
    • ♦Electric Deregulation Act
    • ♦Buy America (FHWA, USC)
  • ►3. Texas Codes and Regulations
    • ♦Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
    • ♦Transportation Code
    • ♦Utilities Code
    • ♦Local Government Code
    • ♦Water Code
    • ♦Natural Resources Code
  • ►4. Related Policies and Guidance
    • ♦References
    • ♦Research on Eligibility
• ►4. Preliminary Planning
  • ►1. District Utility Cooperative Process Meetings
    • ♦General
    • ♦Annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Meeting
    • ♦Annual Meeting (Process Activity I)
    • ♦Utility Coordination Council Meetings
    • ♦Initial Project Notification Meeting (Process Activity II)
    • ♦Preliminary Design Meeting (Process Activity III)
  • ►2. Utility Location Investigations
    • ♦General
  • ►3. Preliminary Utility Adjustment Funding Determinations
    • ♦Federal Utility Procedure (FUP)
    • ♦State Utility Procedure (SUP)
  • ►4. Initial Exchange of Design Data and Criterion
    • ♦General
  • ►5. Requirements for LPA
    • ♦Authority
    • ♦Procedure
• ►5. Utility Considerations During Highway Design
  • ►1. Determination of Utility Impacts
    • ♦Justification
    • ♦Considerations
  • ►2. Coordination
    • ♦Objective
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►3. TxDOT Utility Contracts
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Benefits of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
    • ♦SUE and Utility Coordination Contracts
    • ♦Utility Accommodation, Coordination, and Verification (UACV)
  • ►4. Utility Access, Corridors, and Strips
    • ♦Access Rights
    • ♦Utility Corridors
    • ♦Utility Strips
  • ►5. Combined Transportation Utility Construction
    • ♦Procedure
    • ♦Advance Funding Agreement For Voluntary Utility Relocation Contributions On State Highway Improvement Projects (AFA)
  • ►6. Compliance with the Rules and Policies
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Utility Accommodation Rules (UAR)
    • ♦Code of Federal Rules (CFR 1.9)
    • ♦Policy
  • ►7. Alternate Financial Assistance to the Utility
    • ♦State Infrastructure Bank (SIB)
    • ♦State Participation 2125 (SP2125)
  • ►8. Intermediate Design Meetings
    • ♦Overview
  • ►9. TxDOT Assistance to the Utility
    • ♦Overview
  • ►10. Utility Design Considerations Related to Reimbursement
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Coating and Wrapping of Utility Lines
    • ♦Cathodic Protection of Utility Lines
    • ♦Additional Thickness of Pipe
    • ♦Spare Conduits or Ducts
    • ♦Taller Poles
    • ♦Joint Occupancy of Poles
    • ♦Utility Facilities in Highway Structures
    • ♦Existing Facilities Remaining in Place
    • ♦New Location Considerations
  • ►11. Broadband Initiatives
    • ♦Joint Trench Opportunities
    • ♦Joint Duct Bank Accommodation Program
• ►6. Utility Plans and Specifications
  • ►1. Initial Actions of the Utility
    • ♦Use of Consulting Engineers by a Utility Company
    • ♦Replacement of Utility Right of Way
  • ►2. Utility Plan Preparation
    • ♦Policy
    • ♦Plan Requirements
    • ♦Preparation of Utility Specifications and Proposals
  • ►3. Use of Contractors on Utility Work
    • ♦Establishing Need for a Contractor’s Services
    • ♦Utility Work in the Highway Contract
• ►7. Utility Cost Estimates
  • ►1. General Requirements
    • ♦Overview
  • ►2. Cost Estimate Methods and Categories
    • ♦Reimbursable Cost Methods
    • ♦Cost Estimate Categories
    • ♦Materials and Supplies
    • ♦Labor
    • ♦Overhead
    • ♦Transportation and Equipment
    • ♦Right of Way
    • ♦Traffic Controls
    • ♦Salvage, Abandoned Facilities, and Removal of Materials
    • ♦Credits
    • ♦Betterments
    • ♦Procedures for Computing Elective Betterment Credit
  • ►3. Contract Work and Consultants
    • ♦Contract Work
  • ►4. Buy America Guidelines
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Documentation Requirements for Buy America
    • ♦Additional Consideration to Certification Methods
    • ♦Exceptions to Buy America Provisions
  • ►5. Iron and Steel Preference Provisions in Improvement Contracts
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Documentation Requirements for Iron and Steel Preference Provisions in Improvement Contracts
    • ♦Additional Consideration to Certification Methods
    • ♦Exceptions to Requirements for Iron and Steel Preference Provisions in Improvement Contracts
  • ►6. Build America Buy America
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦District Responsibilities
    • ♦Utility Company Responsibilities
• ►8. Procedures for Utility Adjustments
  • ►1. Adjustments
    • ♦Eligible Adjustments
    • ♦Partially Eligible Adjustments
  • ►2. Utility Property Ownership
    • ♦Public Utility Easement (PUE) Reimbursement Considerations
    • ♦Acquisition of Right of Way from a Utility Property Owner
    • ♦Compensation Considerations
    • ♦Eligibility Ratio
    • ♦Calculating the Eligibility Ratio at Railroads
  • ►3. Right of Way Costs
    • ♦Preliminary Activity
    • ♦Utilities Presently Located on Interstate Right of Way
    • ♦Utilities Presently Located on Private Right of Way
    • ♦Utilities Presently Located on Both Public and Private Right of Way
    • ♦Utilities as a Real Estate Acquisition
  • ►4. Emergency Adjustment
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►5. Four Major Procedures for Utility Adjustment
    • ♦Procedures
  • ►6. State Utility Procedure
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Project Category
    • ♦Utility Agreements
  • ►7. Federal Utility Procedure
    • ♦Interstate with Federal Funds in Right of Way
    • ♦Characteristics
    • ♦Benefits
  • ►8. Local Utility Procedure
    • ♦General
    • ♦Acquisition of Replacement Right of Way
    • ♦Utility Accommodation
    • ♦Participation in Costs of Adjustments
    • ♦Eligibility of Utility Adjustments
    • ♦Utility Agreements
  • ►9. Non-Reimbursable Utility Adjustment Procedure
    • ♦General
    • ♦Utility Installation Permit
  • ►10. Federal-aid Participation
    • ♦General
    • ♦For State
    • ♦For LPA
• ►9. Forms and Agreements
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Comparison
    • ♦Actual Cost Agreements
    • ♦Lump Sum Agreements
    • ♦Advance Funding Agreement for Voluntary Utility Relocation Contributions on State Highway Improvement Projects (AFAs)
  • ►2. District Approval of Utility Agreements
    • ♦Authority
    • ♦TxDOT Utility Accommodation Rules (UAR) Compliance
    • ♦Lump Sum Agreements
    • ♦ROW Division Approval
  • ►3. Affidavits
    • ♦Overview
  • ►4. Agreement Assemblies
    • ♦Requirements for Submission
  • ►5. Prepare and Submit the Agreement Assembly
    • ♦General
    • ♦Statement of Work
    • ♦Methods of Cost Accumulation
    • ♦Execution by Authorized Representative
    • ♦Distribution of Assemblies
    • ♦District Letter of Authority
  • ►6. Utility Joint Use and Occupancy
    • ♦Acquisition
    • ♦Authority
    • ♦ Utility Joint Use and Occupancy
    • ♦Utility Accommodation / Adjustment Checklist
    • ♦Revisions to Forms
• ►10. Performing the Utility Adjustment
  • ►1. Utility Pre-Construction Activities
    • ♦General
    • ♦Pre-letting Utility Meeting (Process Activity VIII)
    • ♦Utility Meeting After Award (Process Activity IX)
    • ♦Notification of Starting Date
  • ►2. Inspection Activities
    • ♦Maintaining Utility Construction Records
    • ♦Project Documentation
    • ♦Safety Precautions
    • ♦Required Inspection of the Work
    • ♦Changes in Approved Work
    • ♦Inspection of Recovered Materials
  • ►3. Abandoned Interests
    • ♦For State
    • ♦For LPA
    • ♦Acquisition of Utility-Owned Interests or Properties
  • ►4. Utility Installation Inspection
    • ♦General
• ►11. Billing and Payments
  • ►1. Invoicing and Payment Procedures
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Miscellaneous Claims
    • ♦The “Prompt Payment Law”
    • ♦Participant Responsibilities in Billing/Payment Process
    • ♦Use of Payment and Voucher Page
    • ♦Other Items Relevant to Billing Preparation
    • ♦Billing Assembly Package
  • ►2. Partial Payments
    • ♦For State
    • ♦Supporting Documentation Required for Partial Payment Requests
  • ►3. Final Billings
    • ♦For State and LPA
  • ►4. Final Billing for Local Utility Payment (LUP)
    • ♦Reimbursement
    • ♦Coordination between the Utility and the LPA
    • ♦Coordination between the LPA and the State;
    • ♦Billing Requirements
  • ►5. Payments and Final Audit
    • ♦Before Final Audit
    • ♦Final Review
    • ♦Audits
    • ♦Records of Cost
  • ►6. Utility Considerations in Right of Way Project Closeout
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦District Responsibilities
    • ♦Division Responsibilities
  • ►7. Utility Considerations in State Participation 2125 (SP2125) Program
    • ♦Overview
• ►12. Unique Conditions and Special Cases
  • ►1. Cable, Communication, and Fiber Optic Telecommunication Lines
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Policy
  • ►2. Cellular Towers
    • ♦Policy
  • ►3. Transmission Towers
    • ♦Policy
  • ►4. Restoration of Service
    • ♦Policy
    • ♦Backflow Prevention Assemblies
  • ►5. Leasing
    • ♦Policy
  • ►6. Resource Sharing
    • ♦Policy
  • ►7. Economically Disadvantaged/Insolvent Utilities
    • ♦Policy
  • ►8. Disposition of Existing Abandoned or Idled Utility Facilities
    • ♦Abandoned or Idled Pipelines
    • ♦Existing Facilities Abandoned in Place or Removed Only
  • ►9. Unknown Utility Ownership
    • ♦Policy
  • ►10. Water Control Facilities (Canals)
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Water Control Facilities Crossing the Highway
    • ♦Parallel Water Control Facilities
    • ♦Publicly-Owned Water Control Facilities (for State)
    • ♦Publicly-Owned Water Control Facilities (for LPA)
    • ♦Privately-Owned Water Control Facilities (for State)
    • ♦Privately-Owned Water Control Facilities (for LPA)
  • ►11. New Utility Installations in Existing Right of Way
    • ♦New Locations Beyond the Limits of TxDOT Right of Way Projects
    • ♦New Installations Within the Limits TxDOT Right of Way Projects
  • ►12. Railroads
    • ♦Railroad License Agreements
    • ♦Utility Requirements
  • ►13. Hazardous Materials
    • ♦Safety Precautions
    • ♦One Call Requirements
    • ♦Monitor Wells
    • ♦Geophysical Exploration on Highway Right of Way
    • ♦Contaminated Sites
  • ►14. Alternative Delivery Project Agreements
    • ♦Overview
• ►A. Reimbursement Guidelines and Billing Procedures for Utility Adjustments
  • ►1. Introduction
    • ♦General
  • ►2. General Requirements
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►3. Final Billings
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►4. Labor Charges
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►5. Charges for Materials and Supplies
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►6. Transportation and Equipment Charges
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Rental
    • ♦Small Tools
  • ►7. Engineering Charges
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►8. Right of Way Charges
    • ♦Guidelines
    • ♦Definition
  • ►9. Overhead Charges
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ♦10. Removal or Replacement Charges of Buildings or Similar Structures
  • ►11. Betterments and Betterment Credit
    • ♦General
    • ♦Betterments Necessitated by Highway Construction
    • ♦Betterments Elected by the Utility Company
  • ►12. Forced Betterment Examples
    • ♦Guidelines
    • ♦Coating and Wrapping
    • ♦Additional Thickness of Pipe
    • ♦Spare Conduits or Ducts
    • ♦Taller Poles
    • ♦Joint Occupancy of Poles
  • ►13. Accrued Depreciation
    • ♦Formula
  • ►14. Partially Eligible Adjustments
    • ♦General
    • ♦Appropriate Order of Credits
  • ♦15. Consulting Engineer Fees
  • ♦16. Special Considerations
• ►B. Broadband Accommodation Process
  • ►1. Purpose of Broadband Accommodation Process
    • ♦General
    • ♦Amending the Design Standards
    • ♦Additional Requirements
  • ►2. Definitions
    • ♦List of Definitions
  • ►3. Utility Installation Review Permit Design Documentation Standards
    • ♦General
    • ♦Paper Size
    • ♦Abbreviations
    • ♦Line Weights and Annotations
    • ♦Required Sheets and Information
    • ♦Title Sheet Requirements
    • ♦Requirements for Plan Sheets
    • ♦Profile Sheet Requirements
    • ♦Equipment Sheet Requirements
    • ♦Typical Sheet Requirements
    • ♦Documentation of Demarcation
  • ►4. Broadband Technical Specifications
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Locations and Structures
    • ♦Aesthetics
    • ♦Cabinets and Enclosures
    • ♦Antennas and Other Equipment
    • ♦Node Transport Facilities
    • ♦Power
    • ♦Interference and RF Radiation Exposure
    • ♦Signage
  • ►5. Macro Tower Technical Specifications
    • ♦Specifications
  • ►6. Required Process Steps Before Submitting a Utility Installation Review Permit
    • ♦Account
    • ♦Approvals
  • ►7. Utility Permit
    • ♦Required Permits
  • ►8. Application Processing Shot Clocks
    • ♦Guidelines
  • ►9. Construction and Maintenance
    • ♦Protocols
  • ►10. Inspection
    • ♦Inspection Allowances
    • ♦Unauthorized Broadband Installations
  • ►11. As-Built Documentation
    • ♦General
• ►C. Guidance for Submitting Agreements
  • ►1. Types of Guidance
    • ♦Standard Utility Agreement
    • ♦Supplemental Agreement

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Manual Notice: 2025-1

From: Kyle Madsen, Right of Way Division Director

Manual: ROW Utilities Manual

Effective Date: June 12, 2025

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Purpose

This revision incorporates Build America Buy America (BABA) requirements established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

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Changes

In Chapter 7, added a new Section 6 “Build America Buy America”.

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Note

Some hyperlinks will not work when a PDF version of this manual is downloaded and used offline.

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Contact

Wayne Robinson, Right of Way Division Utility Portfolio Section Director, 512.416.2831

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Archives

Past manual notices are available in a PDF archive.