Author: Jason Yochim

CONCLUSION

The Serendipitous History of Colorado’s Senate Bill 18-167

Part 4 by James H. Anspach

One of the key players in any legislative effort is the Office of the Governor and its priorities. Governor Hickenlooper, a geologist and businessman, was concerned over explosions due to damaged natural gas lines during construction. A recent incident called the Firestone Explosion killed several innocent bystanders, and so utility construction safety was on his mind. He had several meetings to see what could be done, and GENERALLY was in support of Sen. Scott’s initiative. As the noise of utility initiatives continued to grow, Jim Anspach was able to gather Gov. Hickenlooper’s ear regarding ASCE 38, issues with Sen. Scott’s solution, and in general received support from the Governor.

While all of these different stakeholders were being courted, Sen. Ray Scott continued on with his campaign to get his revised legislation to a vote. Eventually, the bill passed both chambers and was signed into act by Gov Hickenlooper on May 25, 2018, and became enforceable on August 8, 2018.

IN GENERAL TERMS, THE COLORADO LEGISLATION SAYS THAT ANY PUBLIC PROJECT OF SIZE THAT INCLUDES EXCAVATION OR BORING, MUST TRY TO ACHIEVE QLB ON ANY AND ALL UTILITIES WITHIN THE PROJECT LIMITS, UNLESS AN ENGINEER DECIDES IT IS UNNECESSARY.

The Colorado Attorney General’s office subsequently ruled that SUE plans and reports must be signed and sealed by a Professional Engineer (PE). CDOT took the position that any project, including utility accommodation projects in their rights-of way that required permits, fell under this legislation.

Many people contributed to the success of this effort, and it really was not part of any master plan on anyone’s part. It really was knowing and getting all the right people to the table at the same relative time period with a solution that worked for everyone. It could, and should, work in every state to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of issues surrounding existing buried utilities.

THANK YOU, JIM ANSPACH, FOR PREPARING THIS PRESENTATION AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO POST IT.

More information about Colorado’s Senate Bill 18-167 and a copy of the bill itself can be found at https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb18-167.

A PowerPoint presentation by Andrew Sylvest (Utility Engineering Operations Manager, SAM Family of Companies) contains more information about the workings and implementation of Colorado’s Senate Bill 18-167 and can be found at Q7_2_SB-18-167-Presentation (steamboatsprings.net).

POST 79 – MUTCD

The USDOT’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is an important part of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). 

Many of SUE’s designating and locating activities involve work on or near streets and highways. Motorists often do not expect these intrusions and therefore should be informed well in advance of what is going on. Nationally mandated information for doing this is contained in Part 6 of the MUTCD, which addresses temporary traffic control (TTC). TTC involves the use of signs, markings, and other devices used to regulate, warn, or guide users of roadway facilities.

 The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and contains national standards for all traffic control devices, including highway signs, markings, and other devices. It is updated periodically to accommodate the nation’s changing transportation needs and to address new safety technologies, traffic control tools, and traffic management techniques.

 On December 19, 2023, a Final Rule adopted the 11th Edition of the MUTCD and was published in the Federal Register with an effective date of January 18, 2024. States were required to adopt the 11th Edition of the National MUTCD as their legal State standard for traffic control devices within two years from the effective date. The Federal Register notice, which provides detailed discussion of the final dispositions of major changes from the 2009 edition, can be viewed at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-27178.

FHWA does not print paper copies of the MUTCD. It is available, however, as a free PDF document at 11th Edition of the MUTCD.

More next week about applicability of the MUTCD to SUE.

POST 80 – SANDY WILSON

Sandy Wilson just completed her 28^th consecutive year working for the T2 Utility Engineers where she is a Project Manager for the Illinois Office. I can only think of a few people that have been with their present companies doing SUE work for that length of time. The history of SUE in Illinois and Sandy’s history coincide and continues to this day. I find that pretty amazing. I asked Sandy to tell us a little bit about it and the following is what she had to say:

“I started my career with Tampa Bay Engineering back in 1996 in Bloomington, Illinois. During this time, our company had started to grow outside the state of Florida, and we had changed our name to TBE Group, Inc. The Illinois office at the time was providing OSP (Telephony Signal Source Provider Contract) Outside Plant System Design Services for GTE North for new fiber optic installations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. When GTE North was purchased by Verizon in 1998/1999, all contracts with GTE soon ended. Verizon decided to keep all design services in house. I was given the opportunity by TBE to remain with the company to begin learning about Subsurface Utility Engineering.

My work started on various SUE assignments out of our Indianapolis office for a short period of time. TBE was awarded a SUE contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation for IDOT District 1, and we soon opened our new Illinois branch office performing SUE services in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago in 2001. I was not the original manager when we opened our office in Bloomington, Illinois. I was the administrative technical support assistant to the OSP Engineers who taught me how to interpret telephone and fiber optic as-built records that were drawn by hand before CADD software became available.

After my time in Indiana learning the SUE process and procedures, my job description had changed to Assistant Utility Coordinator and then I was promoted to Assistant Project Manager. Over the years, I trained with several managers who currently work for T2 and along with other managers prior who no longer work for us, that helped me be successful in my current position. Over the years, we had developed relationships with clients by educating their project team on the benefits of SUE Services.

Today, we continue to perform SUE Services for the Illinois Department of Transportation Districts 1 and 8 and other various clients throughout Illinois. We do take the time to listen and tailor each project based on the client’s needs to give them a quality SUE deliverable and complete their projects efficiently and with reduced risks.”

Thank you, Sandy. You are pretty amazing. 

Is there anyone else in the SUE community with a similar history? If so, please send me an email at cpscott532@aol.com and let me know.  Thanks!

#SuburfaceUtilityEngineering