A DATA PLATFORM FOR MANAGING UTILITIES ALONG HIGHWAY CORRIDORS

Abstract

Each year, thousands of new utilities are installed within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) right-of-way (ROW). With the proliferation of utilities within its ROW, it is becoming increasingly difficult for TxDOT not only to allow more utilities but also to deliver and manage its own transportation system in a timely and efficient manner. This research report describes a geographically referenced prototype model that allows TxDOT to tie the location of utility facilities to the state highway network and to associate the positional data with details of utility facility ownership, service or commodity type, infrastructure size, material, and other pertinent characteristics. The inventory model can accommodate a variety of utility-related processes within TxDOT including installation notices (also known as utility permits), joint use agreements, and deliverables from subsurface utility engineering (SUE) contracts. This research report compiles and reviews existing sources of utility facility data at TxDOT, summarizes a geographic information system (GIS) model that represents the location of utility facilities located within the TxDOT ROW, describes a prototype Internet-based data entry procedure and accompanying data administrative procedure to capture utility installation notice data from utility companies, provides recommendations for implementing the prototype model, and provides recommendations for standards and minimum requirements for quality and content.