Resolving Conflict in Utility Management

摘要

Unknown utility conflicts on a highway project can result in increased risks to highway contractors, which translate into higher bids, increased hazards for highway workers and the public, and potential cost increases and delays during the construction of a project. The inability to obtain reliable underground utility information has long been a troublesome problem for highway designers across the United States. To address the issue, some States have implemented a process of conducting subsurface utility investigations to accurately identify the location of these utilities. This engineering practice is known as subsurface utility engineering (SUE). The proper and successful use of SUE benefits both highway agencies and the impacted utilities, avoiding unnecessary utility relocations, eliminating conflicts with utilities, and enhancing safety.