Exploratory Study of the Key Variables Affecting Duration Estimates for Right-of-Way Acquisition and Utility Adjustment

Timely delivery of the Right-of-Way (R/W) acquisition and utility adjustment necessary for construction has been recognized as one of the preconstruction activities that is significant to state departments of transportation in the United States. Delays or conflicts caused by these activities can negatively influence project schedule, cost, and productivity. Specifically, because it is difficult to have a complete understanding of the variables that affect the delivery of both activities, the inaccurate prediction of durations is one of the main causes of R/W or utility-related problems in Texas. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study of variables that significantly affect R/W acquisition and utility adjustment durations with the aim of improving the prediction of these durations. An initial list of variables was generated after an extensive literature review and several group discussions with R/W administrators with more than 15 years of experience. In addition, workshops were conducted in selected rural, urban, and metropolitan districts in Texas to collect estimates and assess the importance of the variables on three actual projects. Finally, a robust list of 39 variables were identified and evaluated, enabling the authors to determine which of them are most commonly considered by optimistic and pessimistic estimators in their estimates. Such identification of both optimistic and pessimistic estimators patterns as they use these variables to determine durations could help R/W administrators, utility agents, and other practitioners in the early planning phase of projects; an awareness of these patterns might prove useful for analyzing conditions surrounding the R/W project to be estimated.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Sohn, Taehong
  • Azambuja, Marcelo
  • O'Connor, James T
  • O'Brien, William
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2008-1-13 to 2008-1-17
• Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 87th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction projects; Land; Management; Right of way (Land); Utility theory
• Uncontrolled Terms: Exploratory studies; Utility relocation
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Construction; Economics; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01088413
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 08-1425
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 25 2008 2:32PM