Abstract Manager

Utility risk remains one of the most consistent, and most preventable, sources of delay, redesign, and cost escalation on road, highway, and urban transportation projects. Within dense corridors the issues of incomplete records, unknown assets, aging infrastructure, and late-emerging conflicts routinely trigger change orders and last-minute relocations that disrupt construction staging and public service continuity. While Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) and Utility Coordination (UC) have advanced significantly in recent decades, many programs still lack a single accountable technical lead to manage utility considerations end-to-end across planning, design, and construction.

This presentation proposes the Project Utility Engineer (PUE) as a practical, scalable solution: a specialized Professional Engineer role dedicated to identifying, mitigating, and managing utility risk throughout the project lifecycle. The session will outline how a PUE integrates ASCE 38-aligned SUE planning, oversees investigation and survey coordination, evaluates and resolves utility conflicts, and develops avoidance, protection, and relocation strategies that are constructible and stakeholder-ready.

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of where the PUE fits within common transportation delivery models, what responsibilities and deliverables define the role, and how agencies and consultants can implement the function to reduce risk, protect critical services, and improve schedule and cost outcomes. The presentation will also touch on emerging professionalization efforts, including the anticipated BC.PUE board certification and its focus on consistent competency across the discipline.