New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES › Chapter 4 - UTILITY RIGHTS OF WAY AND EASEMENTS › Part 2 - REQUIREMENTS FOR OCCUPANCY OF STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM RIGHT-OF-WAY BY UTILITY FACILITIES › Section 17.4.2.7 - DEFINITIONS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A.
AASHTO
-- American Association of State Highway and Transportation
				Officials.
B.
Access
				control
-- The condition where access rights of owners or occupants of
				abutting land adjacent to highways are fully or partially controlled or limited
				by public authority, with no right to obtain a driveway permit.
C.
Aerial facilities
-- Pole
				mounted utility lines or other above ground structures for the transmission or
				distribution of electric power, communications, traffic control lights and
				street lighting.
D.
Agreement
-- Pertains to the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation
				Department standard form Utility Relocation Agreement or other specifically
				written agreements pertaining to the relocation of utilities in conflict with
				highway construction, but not limited only for these purposes.
E.
Archaeological clearance
--
				Legally required documented finding and/or field investigation procedure to
				insure the protection of known and unknown cultural/historic sites. It must be
				performed prior to any construction excavation, subsurface clearing or ground
				surface disturbance in connection with highway construction projects, or the
				accommodation of utilities or other facilities within public highway
				right-of-way.
F.
Average
				daily traffic
-- The average 24 hour vehicular traffic volume, derived
				from the total volume divided by the number of days in a one year (usually)
				period. Commonly abbreviated as ADT.
G.
Backfill
-- Placement and
				compaction of material around and/or over a structure such as a pipe, conduit,
				casing or gallery.
H.
Barrier
-- A device which provides a physical limitation through which a
				vehicle could not normally pass. It is intended to contain or redirect the
				movement of an errant vehicle away from roadside or median obstacles, ravines,
				ditches, etc.
I.
Bored or
				boring
-- A construction procedure for pushing or jacking a pipe or
				conduit under the highway, without disturbance to the highway structure or
				prism.
J.
Breakaway
-- A design feature which allows a device such as a utility pole, sign post,
				luminaire, or traffic signal support to yield or separate upon impact. The
				release mechanism may be slip plains, planes hinges, fracture elements, or a
				combination thereof.
K.
Cap
-- Rigid structural element surmounting a pipe, conduit, casing or
				gallery.
L.
Carrier
-- Pipe that directly contains a transmitted fluid (liquid or gas).
M.
Casing
-- A larger pipe
				enclosing a smaller pipe.
N.
Catch point
-- The point on the undisturbed ground surface where highway
				backslopes and foreslopes terminate after being cut or filled by construction
				equipment; usually established by a slope stake.
O.
CBC
-- Concrete Box
				Culvert.
P.
Clear roadside
				area or clear zone
-- That roadside border area, starting at the edge of
				the traveled way , available for use by errant vehicles, wherein no fixed
				obstruction or above ground utility facility may be placed unless protected by
				a barrier, or by incorporating a Department approved breakaway
				feature.
Q.
CMC
--
				Corrugated Metal Culvert.
R.
CME
-- Construction and Maintenance Easement; document providing for use
				of non-Department owned land on which to construct and maintain permanent
				facilities.
S.
Coating
-- Protective material applied to, or wrapped around a
				pipe.
T.
Communication
				Facilities
-- Includes, but not limited to, telephone, telegraph, TV
				cable, microwave and fiberoptics.
U.
Compaction
-- A measure of
				the density of soil, achieved by mechanical means on highway surfaces and on
				backfill in trenches to harden the material to a predetermined density. Density
				is the soil weight maximum, in a measured (Modified Proctor Method "C" T-99)
				volume, with a pre-determined water content, plus a uniform compaction
				effort.
V.
Condemnation
-- The process by which private property is acquired for
				public purposes through legal proceedings, under the power of eminent
				domain.
W.
Conductor
-- Various types of electrical wire used for the transmission and distribution
				of electricity.
X.
Conduit
				or Duct
-- An enclosed tubular runway for protecting wires or
				cables.
Y. Control number or CN --
				Four digit number assigned to specific highway projects and used for
				identification and tracking purposes.
Z.
Cost of relocation
-- The
				entire amount properly attributable to relocation of a utility facility after
				deducting therefrom the value of any betterment of the new facility and any
				salvage value derived from the old facility.
AA.
Cover
-- Depth to the top
				of a pipe, conduit, casing or gallery below the ground surface.
AB.
Cradle
-- Supporting
				structural element below a pipe.
AC.
Cultural resource study and
				clearance
-- To determine the impact of construction to any known or
				unknown cultural/historic sites; see Archaeological Clearance.
AD.
Density
-- Compaction of
				soil by mechanical means on highway surfaces and for backfill in trenches to
				harden the fill material to a predetermined density. Density is the soil weight
				maximum, in a measured volume, with a pre-determined water content, plus a
				uniform compaction effort.
AE.
Department
-- The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation
				Department, sometimes identified herein as NMSHTD, State Highway Department,
				State, and Highway Agency.
AF.
Direct burial
-- Installing a utility facility underground
				without trenching separately, i.e., plowing. A method usually used for
				installing flexible cable.
AG.
Distribution lines
-- Intermediate utility lines or arterials
				that supply natural gas, steam, electricity, telephone communications, water
				and TV cable services to local customers. These systems do not include the
				service connections.
AH.
District engineer
-- The engineer in charge of one of the Department's
				six construction and maintenance districts.
AI.
Drain
-- Appurtenance to
				discharge liquid contaminants from casings.
AJ.
Drop inlet (D.I.)
-- An
				underground storm water collector with surface grating at curbside, in medians
				or at other locations in and around highways and streets. It connects to storm
				water trunk lines usually running parallel to the highway.
AK.
Easement
-- The document
				that grants the right to use land (usually in corridors or strips) owned by
				others, and that defines the conditions of such use.
AL.
Eminent domain
-- The right
				of government, utilities and other public entities to take land for public use
				(upon the payment of just compensation) from land owners unwilling to sell the
				land after a negotiation for purchase has failed.
AM.
Encasement
-- A structural
				element surrounding a pipe. See Casing.
AN.
Encroachment
--
				Unauthorized and illegal use of highway right-of-way or other lands owned or
				administered by the Department, State or other Public Agencies.
AO.
Engineer
-- Secretary of
				New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department. Identified in the past
				as State Highway Engineer and Chief Highway Administrator, acting directly or
				through his/her designee.
AP.
Entrance ramp
-- A one-direction vehicular traffic lane for
				entering freeways, access controlled highways, and other highways at
				interchanges and at other authorized locations.
AQ.
Environmental impact statement
				(EIS
)
-- A study that determines the total
				impact of any proposed construction on the environmental system, and the
				proposed action to mitigate the anticipated impacts.
AR.
Exit ramp
-- A
				one-direction vehicular traffic lane for exiting a freeway or controlled access
				highway, and other highways at interchanges and at other authorized
				locations.
AS.
Expressway
-- A divided arterial highway for through traffic with full
				or partial control of access, generally with grade separations (bridges) at
				major interSections.
AT.
Field design inspection
-- The Department's initial highway project
				inspection to insure agreement on design items and to furnish any additional
				design criteria.
AU.
Federal-aid highways
-- All roads constructed in whole or in part with
				federal aid.
AV.
FHWA
Federal Highway Administration.
AW.
Flexible pipe
-- A plastic, fiberglass, or metallic pipe having a
				large ratio of diameter to wall thickness that can be deformed without undue
				stress.
AX.
Frangible
-- A structure readily or easily broken upon impact.
AY.
Freeway
-- An expressway
				with full control of access.
AZ.
Frontage road
-- A local street or road auxiliary to, and located
				on the side of, an arterial highway for service to abutting property, adjacent
				areas, and to aid in maintaining access control of the adjoining arterial
				highway.
BA.
Force
				account
-- A daily record of expenditures. Records construction labor,
				materials, equipment usage, transportation costs and other costs such as
				commercial travel, per diem and other legitimate administrative costs
				incidental to utility relocation construction work performed by a utility with
				their own personnel, at actual costs incurred, without profit.
BB.
Gallery
-- An underpass
				(Concrete Box Culvert, or the like) for numerous utility lines, cables or pipes
				crossing beneath or running parallel under a street, highway or road.
BC.
Grade & drain
				inspection
-- The Department's highway project inspection to establish
				the final grade line, drainage design and review of the overall project
				design.
BD.
Grade separation
				structure
-- A highway, railroad or other type bridge, underpass or
				large culvert.
BE.
Grounded
-- Connected to earth or to some extended conducting body which
				serves as a conductor instead of the earth, whether the ground connection is
				intentional or accidental. Usually pertains to an electrical ground.
BF.
Grout
-- A cement mortar or
				a slurry of fine sand or clay.
BG.
HA
-- Highway Agency or State Highway Agency (SHA) or other named
				State Highway Organizations.
BH.
Highway, street or road
-- A general term denoting a public way
				for the purpose of vehicular and other modes of travel. The names usually apply
				to the entire area within the right-of-way limits.
BI.
Hot work
-- Work by field
				electricians on an electrical system that is energized and dangerous.
BJ.
I-Project
-- Interstate
				Highway Project.
BK.
Inlet
-- The graded and contoured approach to a storm water drainage
				system or culvert. The entrance through a drop inlet to a buried storm water
				pipeline drainage system.
BL.
Insert
-- A steel or cast iron cylinder with a female threaded
				hole in one end. These cylinders are installed in the concrete deck bottom of a
				bridge to suspend a threaded rod and suspension saddle to support pipelines and
				other conduits permitted on the bridge crossing.
BM.
Jacket
-- Encasement by
				concrete poured around a pipe.
BN.
Joint use agreement
-- An Agreement between the Department and a
				utility owner that provides for one future utility relocation and replacement
				right-of-way payment when a utility facility that occupies a private easement
				(corridor or strip of land) is taken for new highway right-of-way but no
				utility relocation is immediately necessary. The utility remains in place since
				there is no conflict with the highway features.
BO.
Longitudinal barrier
-- A
				barrier primarily to prevent penetration and safely redirect errant vehicles
				away from a roadside or median hazards, such as above ground utility
				structures.
BP.
Longitudinal
				installation
-- A utility facility or system located within or out of
				the right-of-way limits of a highway, where the facility runs parallel to the
				highway.
BQ.
MUTCD
--
				Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The standard highway, street or road
				traffic marking and signing directive implemented by the U.S. Department of
				Transportation, for standard use throughout the United States.
BR.
Manhole
-- An opening to an
				underground utility that allows workmen to enter, repair and inspect the
				system.
BS.
Median
--
				The portion of a divided highway separating the opposing traffic
				lanes.
BT.
Natural
				ground
-- Undisturbed ground not affected by construction or other
				disturbing factors.
BU.
Normal
-- Crossing at a right angle (90 degrees).
BV.
Oblique
-- Crossing at an
				acute angle.
BW.
Outlet
-- Downstream channel beyond the end of a drainage pipe or the
				end of the pipe itself.
BX.
P& PSheets
-- Construction plan and profile sheets.
BY.
PS & E review
-- Final
				plans, specifications and estimate reviews by the Department, just before
				letting a highway project to contract.
BZ.
Partial control of access
-- The condition where access rights of owners or occupants of abutting land
				adjacent to highways are partially controlled or limited by the public
				authorities.
CA.
Pavement
				structure
-- The combination of subbase, base course and surface course
				placed on a highway, street or road subgrade to support the traffic
				load.
CB.
Permit
--
				Department document that provides for the occupancy of public right-of-way by
				utilities, entitled New Mexico Public Highway Utility Accommodation Permit,
				also called a use and occupancy agreement, in the references.
CC.
Pipe
-- A tubular steel,
				cast iron, concrete, plastic or other material product designed for the
				transmission of liquid or gaseous substances.
CD.
Plan in hand inspection
--
				The Department's final field inspection to review the completed highway project
				plans.
CE.
Plowing
--
				See, Direct Burial.
CF.
Police power
-- The right of government to legislate, regulate and limit
				the rights of individuals, corporations, companies and others when prompt and
				prudent action is necessary for the public good, health, safety or welfare. Its
				application to utility/highway relations is that certain New Mexico statutes
				provide the Department with specifically defined enforcement powers for utility
				relocation performance so that highway construction work can be completed
				without delay and with minimum legal conflict.
CG.
Private utility
-- A system
				owned by an individual, corporation, company or others not devoted to public
				service but for private use to deliver, transmit electricity, communications,
				natural gas, water or sewage disposal in a closed, private or confined area,
				such as an industrial site, mine, ranch, mobile home park or other remote
				location. The utility product(s) can be generated by the private owner or
				purchased from others (for example, a public utility) for delivery within the
				private entity.
CH.
Public
				highway
-- Any federal, state, county or city highway, street, road or
				other public way devoted to vehicular and other modes of travel including the
				entire area within the right-of-way.
CI.
Questionnaire
-- Utility
				Relocation Questionnaire. A Department standard form a utility owner uses to
				provide pertinent information concerning their eligibility to be reimbursed,
				construction method to be used, right-of-way ownership, and other information
				needed by the Department.
CJ.
Reimbursement
-- For the purposes of this regulation, shall mean
				payment by the Department for eligible costs properly attributable to the
				highway construction, pursuant to State and Federal regulations.
CK.
Relocation
-- Means and
				includes any horizontal or vertical movement of utility facilities intact and
				any protective measures taken or, where found by the Department to be
				necessary, the construction of new or additional facilities (with or without
				contemporaneous removal and salvage of old facilities) in this state,
				including, in any case, adjustment or protection of connecting off-highway
				utility lines to the extent necessary.
CL.
Right-of-way, R/W or
				R.O.W
.
-- A general term or abbreviations for
				right-of-way, denoting land, property or interest therein; usually referring to
				a strip or corridor acquired for transportation or utility purposes.
CM.
Roadside
-- A general term
				denoting the area adjoining the outer edge of the roadway but within the
				right-of-way. Extensive areas between lanes of a divided highway may also be
				considered roadside.
CN.
Roadway prism
-- A road bed Section from toe of slope to toe of slope,
				or borrow ditch bottom, that includes the compacted subgrade, subbase and the
				paved surface of the highway.
CO.
Scenic overlook
-- A roadside area provided for motorists to stop
				their vehicles beyond the shoulder, usually with parking areas, primarily for
				viewing spectacular scenes.
CP.
Secondary highway
-- Minor roads, rural and/or urban, farm to
				market roads and the like that are designated secondary state highways, and are
				either paved or unpaved.
CQ.
Secretary
-- Secretary of the New Mexico State Highway and
				Transportation Department.
CR.
Semi-rigid pipe or rigid pipe
-- Pipe designed to tolerate from
				1% to 3% (semi-rigid) diametric deflection or less than 1% (rigid).
CS.
Service drop or service
				connection
-- A utility service connection from a distribution line to a
				house, business or other entity.
CT.
Skew or skewed
-- Usually
				refers to a highway drainage structure set at oblique angles (not at 90
				degrees) to the centerline of a highway. Could also be used to describe utility
				crossings.
CU.
Slab,
				floating
-- A concrete slab set between the ground surface and the top
				of a pipeline to protect the pipeline segment from static and dynamic load
				damage.
CV.
Sleeve
--
				See Casing.
CW.
Specifications or "Specs
"
-- Refers to
				technical design parameters written to define construction methods, materials
				quality and durability requirements, inspection and certification procedures,
				test procedures, and other mandatory procedures incidental to construction
				quality in general.
CX.
Special district
-- Any single or multipurpose district organized as a
				local public body of the state for the purpose of constructing and furnishing
				any urban-oriented service which another political subdivision of the state is
				authorized to perform, including but not limited to the services of water,
				sewage, garbage, refuse collection and recreation, but excluding the functions
				or services of drainage, irrigation, recreation, reclamation, soil and water
				conservation or flood control.
CY.
Storm sewer trunk line
-- Usually a large diameter storm water
				pipeline underground and parallel to the centerline or adjacent to the roadway
				or street, and fed by curb or median drop inlets.
CZ.
Structure
-- A bridge,
				drainage culvert or irrigation facility in highway usage, and a power or
				telephone pole in utility usage. Many other items are identified as structures
				in other industries.
DA.
Structure profile sheets
-- Construction plan sheets showing the size,
				depth and flow line gradient of proposed highway drainage culverts plus the
				inlet and outlet profiles.
DB.
Subsurface utility engineering or SUE
-- An engineering
				discipline, whereby records research, geophysical techniques and soft digging
				methods are used to accurately locate subsurface utilities. The process is
				intended to collect utility data very early in the design (FDI) process so as
				to mitigate conflicts between highway construction features and
				utilities.
DC.
Temporary
				construction permit (T.C.P.)
-- A land use agreement that terminates
				when the construction work within the permitted area is completed.
DD.
Termini
-- The written
				description of the location of a highway project.
DE.
Traffic control plan
				(T.C.P.)
-- A plan designed to guide drivers safely through a
				construction area; such plan must meet MUTCD minimum requirements.
DF.
Transmission system
--
				Refers to a utility system which transmits a substantial volume of electric
				current, telephone calls, fluid or gaseous products from a generation location,
				source point, major storage point, well or the like to a location where actual
				distribution to the consumer will begin.
DG.
Traveled way
-- The portion
				of the roadway for the movement of vehicles, exclusive of the shoulders and
				auxiliary lanes.
DH.
Trenched
-- Installed in a narrow and open excavation.
DI.
Turn-out
-- A delineated
				roadway exit from a street or highway to allow access to private or other
				property; usually paved or improved with gravel.
DJ.
Use and occupancy agreement
-- See Permit.
DK.
Utility
-- All publicly, privately and cooperatively owned utilities,
				without distinction, for the rendition of water, electric power, sanitary
				sewer, storm sewer, steam, fuel gas, telephone or telegraph service through a
				system of pipes or wires devoted to public utility service. The systems can
				include natural gas; sanitary sewage collection systems; electricity;
				communication systems, including telephone, telegraph, TV cable, microwave,
				fiberoptics and others. The term "utility" does not apply to utility systems
				devoted solely to private use, or when the product of the private utility
				system is not for sale or for use by the general public as a whole.
DL.
Vent
-- Appurtenance to
				discharge gaseous contaminants from a pipe casing.
DM.
Vertical clearance
-- The
				difference in elevation, without obstruction, from the lowest point of the
				superstructure (bridge or box culvert, usually bottom of roof or deck bottom)
				or a wire conductor to the highest point of the traveled-way, river or railroad
				track, or below the bottom of a corrugated metal culvert or concrete box
				culvert or other utility underground facility to the top of another utility
				pipeline, conduit or cable built beneath the drainage structure or other
				utility facility.
DN.
Walled
-- Partially encased by concrete poured alongside the
				pipe.
DO.
Wet-bore
--
				Illegal method of boring a hole beneath a highway using a water jet or sluicing
				method.
DP.
Work order
				system
-- A procedure for accumulating and recording all costs related
				to relocations into separate accounts.
DQ.
X-ing
-- Abbreviation for
				crossing. Refers to a railroad and/or utility crossing.