ITS Conduit Mapping Standardized and Integrated into the Payment Process

Item #: 20260076

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Region Four, Preconstruction, Design, ROW, GIS, Utilities
Implementation Lead: Jeff Albrecht
Development Team: Jeff Albrecht, Bracken Davis, Riley Lindsay, Carissa Ogden, Josh Peterson, Aldo Gonzalez, Kurt Marchant, Devin Squire, Troy Torgersen

Article Written By: Kurt Marchant
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith

STATUS

Implementation Date: January 26, 2026
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: Would a similar process benefit your region?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Performance / Process Improvement
Organization(s): Central Construction, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Central Preconstruction, Communication, Data Technology & Analytics, Environmental Division, Performance and Asset Management, Planning, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Risk Management
Job Role(s): Business Analyst, Construction Engineer, Program Director, Program Manager, Program Specialist, ROW / Permits
Tags: highway transportation, capital productivity, infrastructure preservation, labor productivity, employee empowerment, occupational safety, economic benefits, expenses, expenditures, automation, ( process improvement ), ( simplification ), redesign, standardization, tracking systems, contract administration > bids, contracting, solicitations, contracts, ( RFP, FRQ ), finance > appraisals, investments, asset management, cost recovery, cost sharing, fees, loans, revenues, sales, taxes, usage charges, information technology >> software, networks, ( data visualization ), ( digital delivery ), ( digital twin ), geographic information systems ( GIS ), intelligent transport systems ( ITS ), construction safety, conduit, ITS, map, trench, GPS, utilities, utility, ( connected communities )

PROBLEM

UDOT requires contractors to submit as-built drawings and data at or near substantial completion of all projects. However, UDOT has not historically provided clear direction regarding the required format, content, or level of accuracy for these deliverables. As a result, contractors submit as-built drawings and data in a variety of formats and with varying levels of accuracy, none of which are ingestible into a database in a format that can be queried or applied to future projects in the real world.

Some contractors update and maintain as-built drawings and data as construction progresses, while others return months after the work is completed to update the information based on their best recollection. This inconsistency reduces the quality and confidence level of the as-built information and can lead to inaccurate or incomplete information being carried into future projects.

Inaccurate as-built information can result in additional costs for potholing and can increase the risk of damaging existing fiber during future construction activities. These issues can lead to significant impacts to both UDOT and the traveling public.

CHANGE

Region Four developed a Regional Special Provision for ITS Conduit Installation that clearly defines the required format, content, and level of accuracy for as-built drawings and data. By making these requirements incidental to the ITS conduit installation pay item, payment for the installation becomes contingent upon the contractor providing accurate and up-to-date as-built information throughout the construction process.

The Region Four ITS Conduit Mapping and Upload Tool provides a web-based platform that allows contractors to upload GPS-located lines of installed ITS conduit as the work progresses, including the depth of the conduit. Contractors are also required to complete an online form providing information such as conduit type, installation method, associated GPS data and 3D poly lines (Screenshot 1).

The application automatically checks the submitted data to verify that it is located within the project boundaries and meets established spatial criteria. Once the data is successfully uploaded and validated (Screenshot 2), the GPS information and associated data are added to the region’s master conduit map. An automated email is then sent to the Resident Engineer (RE) and Project Manager (PM), notifying them that payment can be released for the completed and properly documented sections.

If the uploaded data does not meet the required spatial criteria or is located incorrectly within the project boundaries, the application notifies the contractor that the submission is invalid (Screenshot 3). The associated conduit installation pay item is considered incomplete and payment is withheld until the correct as-built data is provided.

A second web application was developed that allows the REs to track when conduit payments have been submitted and if they have made payments to the contractors for installations (Screenshot 4).

This innovation was a collaborative effort led by the Region Four Pre-Construction group. The Design group developed the Region Special Provision, while the Right-of-Way (ROW) group supported its development by providing survey requirements. The Utilities group helped identify and define the challenges associated with the current as-built utility data. The GIS group contributed by developing the data upload tool and user interface.

RESULT

Requiring contractors to provide as-built conduit data progressively throughout construction helps ensure that conduit locations are captured accurately and while the information is readily available in the field. This approach improves the quality and confidence level of UDOT's as-built information and can reduce future maintenance and construction costs.

Accurate, survey-grade conduit locations reduce the need for expensive and time-consuming potholing (process of digging exploratory holes to verify utility location) and provide greater confidence when working around existing ITS infrastructure. The data can also be imported directly into future design projects, eliminating the need to recreate or interpret information from marked-up plans.

Associating the as-built data with the corresponding pay item provides a strong incentive for contractors to submit accurate information in a standardized, usable format. Rather than being left as marked-up plans that may be difficult to interpret or incorporate into UDOT systems, the information can be directly integrated into UDOT's GIS systems and made available for future use.

The innovation also saves UDOT time and money by reducing the amount of field investigation required to locate existing conduit. Accurate and readily accessible as-built information benefits designers, contractors, maintenance personnel, and future construction projects.

In addition, accurate conduit locations can help reduce the risk of damaging fiber optic infrastructure during future construction and maintenance. Fiber strikes can result in a significant impact and depending on the type of fiber, services affected and duration of the outage, costs can reach thousands of dollars per minute. For example, in 2024, a UDOT Maintenance crew struck a buried fiber line while installing a delineator post. The fiber line’s location shown on the as-built drawings was inaccurate, resulting in UDOT receiving a $20,546 bill from the fiber company. By improving the accuracy and accessibility of as-built conduit data, this innovation has the potential to prevent costly outages, repairs, and project delays while improving the overall reliability of UDOT's ITS infrastructure.

Next Steps: The plan is to make this process a requirement for all ITS Conduit installation projects. There is also potential to expand the requirement to include all utilities within the UDOT right-of-way (ROW). Once sufficient data has been collected, it can be incorporated into the design process and integrated into digital delivery projects. The data will also be available to construction and maintenance groups through handheld mobile devices, providing maps and utility locations with inch-level accuracy.

IMPACT

BETTER MOBILITY

Reduces project duration, thus reducing the impact of construction on traffic

GOOD HEALTH

Accurate conduit locations ensure safer excavation
Reduced exposure of maintenance, permitting, and construction crews to traffic while locating utilities in the field

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

As-built information avoids fiber disruption which disconnects communities

STRONG ECONOMY

Conduit information is mobile, ready to use in the field
Reduced need for expensive and time-consuming potholing
Digital twins eliminate the need to recreate or interpret information from marked-up plans
Prevent costly outages, repairs, and project delays
Reduced time and improved accuracy for the UDOT blue stakes team

EFFICIENCIES

Estimated Cost Savings in the First Year (FY YYYY): $NN,NNN [or Anticipated break-even by MMM, YYYY (N years, N months)]
Cost Avoidance: $N,NNN over NN years (MMM D, YYYY - MMM D, YYYY)*
Labor Avoidance: NNN hours annually*
Benefit/Cost Ratio: BB:1

*Cost and labor avoidance are the average benefits, net of initial and ongoing expenses, projected over the expected life of the innovation. See details.

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