Companion Guide to Video August 2012

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

Project Development

Preparing the PS&E

Utility Coordination and Certification 

Requirements

Agencies are required to certify proper coordination with utilities 

prior to construction on Federal-aid projects

Stretching far back into our Nation’s history, 

government agencies have permitted public utility 

facilities to use and occupy the rights-of-way of 

roads and streets. Accommodating utilities within 

the right of way provides a more economic and 

reliable delivery of public service commodities 

such as water, electricity, communications, and 

gas. This relationship between utilities and public 

rights of way benefits the general welfare, safety, 

and health of our citizens. 

Today, as you prepare for the construction phase 

of a Federal-aid project, there is a good chance 

impacts to utilities will occur. If you are not 

prepared for these situations, utility delays can 

cost the project more money and have a negative 

impact on the schedule. In order to avoid this 

problem, State departments of transportation 

(State DOTs) and local public agencies (LPAs) are 

required to coordinate their projects with utility 

owners. We are going to discuss how such 

coordination can help avoid unnecessary delays or 

project costs and what you will need to provide to 

certify that the appropriate coordination has taken 

place. 

All Federal-aid projects require 

the submittal of a utility 

certification to confirm the 

appropriate and adequate 

coordination has taken place 

prior to construction. This 

utility certification is required 

for all projects, including those 

that don’t affect any utilities. The utility certification 

is submitted as a part of the project plans, 

specifications, and estimates package, otherwise 

known as a PS&E. The PS&E approval is a major 

project milestone and must be obtained before any 

Federal-aid project can be authorized to be 

advertised for construction. 

Utility delays are one of the 

primary reasons for increased 

costs and schedule delays 

during the construction phase 

of a project. As the number of 

utilities on a project increases, 

the complexity for coordinating schedules and 

work activities also increases. If during the design 

of your project you recognize the utility relocation 

will be complex, you should allow extra time for 

this coordination to take place. Proper and early 

coordination of utilities will help ensure a better 

managed project during the construction phase. 

Another major consideration is that each year, 

accidents on construction sites lead to injury or 

death, reminding us that coordinating our work 

with the utilities is also important for safety 

reasons. For 

example, let’s say 

a project requires 

excavation in a 

location where an 

underground gas line exists, but the construction 

plans either don’t show it or don’t show it in the 

correct location. This situation can be dangerous 

and is why most agencies across the country have 

laws that require everyone to locate underground 

utilities before they dig. What if a crane has to 

operate in close proximity to an overhead power 

line? Rather than expecting the contractor to 

carefully work around those power lines, perhaps 

taking the necessary steps to temporarily move 

the line will make the project safer to construct.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

As you are developing your Federal-aid project, 

here are some valuable strategies that should 

help you avoid problems and meet the 

challenges of coordinating with utilities:

• Identify any potential utility facilities 

within or near the limits of your project 

and determine if construction activities 

will affect any of them. Communicate 

with each of the appropriate utility 

owners or operators to determine the 

location of the utility and potential 

conflicts during construction. 

• Coordinate with the utility to determine if 

there are any special requirements 

during construction. This may include 

temporary or permanent relocations, 

protection of the utility during 

construction, or identifying specific 

timeframes when the utility cannot be 

taken out of service.

• If relocations are required, coordinate 

with all utilities to determine relocation 

schedules. If utility relocations will occur 

during the construction phase, include 

the details of the arrangements in the 

bid documents so bidders can consider 

how it may impact the overall 

construction schedule and take this into 

account when submitting their bids. 

• Include the location and contact 

information for all utilities on the 

construction plans to help your 

contractor locate utilities and avoid 

potential conflicts. 

After the appropriate utility coordination has 

occurred, the utility certification for the project 

must be included when you submit the project 

PS&E for approval. Authorization to advertise a 

project for bids can only be given after the 

project PS&E is approved. 

As part of your project’s utility certification, you 

should include a statement to address one of 

three possible project circumstances: 

• No utility facilities will be affected by 

the project. This is appropriate for 

projects that won’t have an effect on any 

utility facilities during construction. 

• All utility work will be completed 

prior to the start of construction. This 

is appropriate when utility work is 

necessary, and work will be completed 

prior to the start of construction. 

• Arrangements are made to have 

utility work undertaken during 

construction. In this circumstance, you 

must also indicate as part of your 

certification that appropriate notification 

will be included in the bid proposal 

notifying all prospective bidders of any 

utility work that will occur concurrently 

with the project construction. 

Remember, utility coordination and certification 

requirements apply to all Federal-aid 

construction projects. Contact the utilities office 

from your State DOT if you have questions 

regarding utility coordination or certification on 

your Federal-aid project. You can help prevent 

unnecessary delays, added costs, and unsafe 

situations during the construction of your 

Federal-aid project through early coordination 

with utilities.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The content of this 

document is not a 

substitute for 

information obtained 

from State departments 

of transportation, 

appropriate FHWA 

Division Offices, and 

applicable laws. 

Scenarios have been 

simplified for emphasis 

and do not necessarily

reflect the actual range of 

requirements applicable 

to the scenario or this 

topic. This document

was created under 

contract number 

DTFH61-11-D-00024 by 

the Federal Highway 

Administration, U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation, and is 

offered to the public to

heighten and focus 

awareness of Federal-aid 

requirements within the 

local public agencies 

community and 

reinforces the 

importance of these 

necessary policies, 

procedures, and 

practices.

This companion resource 

is the script content for 

the video production of 

the same name. 

Additional Resources

• Information regarding utility-related topics

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/utility.cfm

• Federal regulations that apply to all Federal-aid projects prior to authorizing 

construction

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr&sid=bfca8e76cb20fc9cc274cd227545d698&rgn=div6&view=text&

node=23:1.0.1.7.23.3&idno=23

• Utility regulations on Federal-aid projects

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr&sid=b5f2d371880266d86531d4c2ba7bd3eb&rgn=div5&view=text

&node=23:1.0.1.7.26&idno=23

• Guidance covering broad range of utility-related requirements

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/utilguid/