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2 CHAPTER 1âINTRODUCTION AASHTO is the author of two documents that have guided utility accommodation highways for decades. The first document is the AASHTO Policy on the Accommodation of Utilities within Freeway Right-of-Way (the policy), which primarily applies to utility accommodation on highways that are part of the Federal Aid system (1). The second document is the AASHTO Guide for Accommodating Utilities within Highway Right-of-Way (the old guide), which primarily applies to utilities on state highways (2). Both documents originated in the 1950s and 1960s and were last updated in 2005. Historically, the policy set a standard for utility accommodation on the Federal Aid system that allowed utility crossings but strongly discouraged longitudinal installations with few extreme case exemptions. By comparison, the guide focused on regulating methods for installing, adjusting, accommodating, and maintaining utilities within highway right-of-way. States were required to adhere to the policy until 1989, at which point adherence became optional as long as states developed their own utility accommodation rules that followed the federal rules and were approved by FHWA. In evaluating and approving the state rules, FHWA was mandated to use the old guide until 2000, at which point the mandate to use the guide became a recommendation. Research Objective As a result of the changes in rules and regulations and the way policy and guide are currently being used, AASHTO identified the need to merge the policy and the old guide into one document. Merging the two documents into a Guide for Accommodating Utilities within Highways and Freeways was the primary objective of NCHRP research project 20-123(06), targeting redundancies and necessary revisions. The secondary objective of the research project was to update materials, where needed, with emphasis on: ⢠Material that has changed or developed following the release of the previous edition. ⢠Emerging technologies for installing and accommodating utilities in the right-of-way. The product of this research is a merged and updated guideline for the accommodation of utilities within the right-of-way of highways and freeways, including updated information about relevant emerging technologies. The new guide uses consistent, updated language and uniform terminology. The new guide is expected to provide useful information for utility accommodation stakeholders for the next 15 to 20 years. Study Approach Researchers conducted the research project according to a work plan consisting of the following four tasks: ⢠Task 1. Review Available Literature and Develop Prioritized List of Manual Updates. ⢠Task 2. Collect Feedback from Selected Utility Stakeholders. ⢠Task 3. Produce Draft of Merged AASHTO Policy and Guidance Documents. ⢠Task 4. Develop New Guide and Final Research Report.
3 The research team conducted the project over an 18-month period that concluded at the end of 2022. Report Organization This report describes the procedures and findings of the project and is organized into five chapters: ⢠Chapter 1 is this introductory chapter. ⢠Chapter 2 discusses the research teamâs review of the literature and other relevant materials. ⢠Chapter 3 discusses the update priorities, structures of the previous guides, and a draft structure for the new guide. ⢠Chapter 4 discusses the research teamâs efforts to plan and conduct a virtual peer exchange and the outcomes of that effort. ⢠Chapter 5 discusses the research teamâs efforts to plan and conduct a workshop at the 2022 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting and the outcomes of that effort. ⢠Chapter 6 discusses the proposed structure of the new guide.
