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MTO and Utilities Meeting

Utilizing Relationships in Utility Relocation Most construction projects require relocation of utilities, including hydro, gas and phone lines. Utility relocation on some projects can be very costly, and if not done in a timely manner can cause disruptions and delays to the construction work.

Ensuring timely relocations requires significant planning work, not only by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) but also by the various utility companies who normally perform the actual relocation work. A successful project requires detailed and ongoing communication and coordination between the utility companies and the ministry.

In recent years, a number of MTO construction projects had experience considerable delays, since the lines of communications between the ministry and the utility companies had deteriorated. In part, this was due to a number of reorganization changes that had occurred in many of the affected companies and offices.

In order to improve the situation, MTO is pleased to have initiated a workshop with all affected utility companies and key ministry staff from across the province. This was the first meeting of this nature and included Enbridge Gas, Union Gas, Hydro One, and Bell Canada. MTO and the various utility companies met in Barrie on January 14th and 15th to share their knowledge and experience, and specifically to identify opportunities to improve the utility relocation process. At the workshop, each group was asked to present a short description of their operation, how it has changed over the last few years, what is working well and what improvements were needed in regard to relocation of utilities.

MTO started off with presentations by Dave McColl (Head of Planning and Design, NW Region) on MTO's planning and design process with specific reference to utilities and collaboration with utility companies during the process. David Levere (Technical Services Supervisor, Ottawa Area Office) followed up with a presentation about how the area offices take over utility relocation responsibilities once the design work is completed. The actual orders to relocate are issued by the area office.

The presentations from the utility companies provided valuable suggestions on areas requiring improvement. All of the companies stressed the importance of being provided enough advance notice to plan relocation, order necessary supplies, and budget for projects. They advocated semi-annual meetings between local MTO offices and themselves to provide advance notice on upcoming projects and to establish contacts.

Following the presentations, open discussions was held to brainstorm and agree on areas needing improvement. Some suggestions were that all companies commit to regular information-sharing to avoid delays, minimize conflicts, and reduce costs. As well, MTO and its consultants must exhibit more consistency in policies and procedures.

In order to achieve this consistency, MTO and all the utilities committed to developing a protocol document, which would define the various steps involved in utility relocation, as well as timelines and expectations of all parties. With the utility companies' valuable feedback and suggestion, Doug Peeling (Senior Policy Advisor, Construction and Operations Branch) has been leading a group of MTO staff to outline the steps involved in the process. Now nearing completion, this document should be ready by the fall for the regions and utility companies.