Identification of decision drivers for the strategy of incorporating utility relocations into highway construction contracts

The adjustment of utilities prior to highway construction is a particularly complex and challenging operation. One strategy that has been adopted in the last two decades is to incorporate utility adjustment work into highway construction contracts. In theory, this approach eliminates or reduces some of the complications and risks of utility adjustments. This paper aims to identify and analyze the decision drivers for selecting this strategy and help alleviate its implementation challenges. To this end, a comprehensive literature review and several interviews with experts from state departments of transportation and utility companies were conducted. Assessment surveys regarding the performance of recent projects that used the combined strategy were performed. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are presented.