Implementation of the Right-of-Way and Utility Adjustment Duration Planning (RUDI) Tool

Constructing highway projects demands effective coordination among all disciplines involved in such projects. These projects require securing the approval of federal, state, and private agencies. Moreover, there are various pre-construction activities that need to be successfully completed in the planning and designing phase of a highway project. Right-of-way acquisition and utility adjustment are among such tasks that have been considered to be sensitive issues by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT has focused on the successful completion of right-of-way acquisition and utility adjustment processes because these can help ensure the timely delivery of highway projects. Accurately forecasting the amount of time required for rightof- way acquisition and utility adjustment in the planning phase, in particular, has been considered one of the necessary skills of districts in TxDOT. However, making such forecasts for these processes is challenging and complex because it requires a sophisticated understanding of the numerous conditions involved in a highway project.