Impact of Utility Delays on Project Delivery

This research project will evaluate the impacts of utility delays on construction project delivery for transportation projects and recommends best practices for minimizing those impacts and improving project delivery. Specifically, this project will: (1) Explore the inclusion of utility relocation in the prime contract with the goals of saving time and money, and expediting state, county, and municipal infrastructure improvement projects. One of the efforts to expedite project delivery is the new law enacted on May 13, 2019, S. C. Code Ann. § 57-5-880. This new law enables SCDOT to bear 100% of the relocation costs (less the value of betterment) of small public water and sewer utilities within right of way and up to 4% of the original construction bid amount of the transportation project in the case of large public water and sewer utilities if the utilities go in-contract and place the relocation work under the control of the general contract for the transportation project. If a transportation project involves relocating both small and large public (water or sewer) utilities, this new law allows SCDOT to bear 100% of the relocation costs for small public utilities and up to 4.5% of the original transportation project bid cost minus the relocation costs of small public utilities in the case of large public utilities. This law is effective until July 1st, 2026 and any evidence to show this benefits SCDOT in expediting project delivery will be helpful in having this law extended beyond its current expiry data; (2) Provide recommended solutions for overcoming most common utility related delays in order to improve project delivery efficiency; (3) Review Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) between utility owners and SCDOT with the goal of offering suggestions based on research findings and best practices from other state DOTS; and (4) Develop best practices on identifying utilities early in the transportation project and minimizing delays through effective management of utility relocations.

• Record URL:
  https://scdot.scltap.org/projects/current/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $414,996.00
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR 756

• Sponsor Organizations:

  South Carolina Department of Transportation

  955 Park Street
  P.O. Box 191
  Columbia, SC  United States  29202-0191

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Watford, Jade

• Performing Organizations:

  Clemson University

  110 Lowry Hall
  Box 340911
  Clemson, SC  United States  29634-0911
• Principal Investigators:

  Piratla, Kalyan

• Start Date: 20210101
• Expected Completion Date: 20230831
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Project delivery; Right of way (Land); Utility theory
• Subject Areas: Construction; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01754172
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: South Carolina Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SPR 756
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 5 2020 9:18AM