Merit 321
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
DESIGN PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION
Lead the review of all Maryland SHA roadway improvement projects in District 7 to assess potential impacts on existing utility infrastructure.
• Initiate utility coordination by requesting and researching as-built utility records to identify ownership of infrastructure potentially affected by proposed improvements.
• Analyze engineering design plans alongside utility data to evaluate potential conflicts, impacts, and necessary relocations.
• Organize and lead utility coordination meetings with stakeholders, including utility providers, SHA design teams, local governments, and other agencies to discuss relocation strategies, resolve issues, and maintain project timelines.
• Assess proposed nearby developer projects for overlapping utility impact zones and align coordination between SHA and developer utility relocation efforts.
• Advise design engineers on utility conflict avoidance, impact mitigation strategies, and relocation options.
• Determine the need for additional test pit investigations to accurately locate and assess underground utilities.
• Complete and maintain RW-57 Utility Tabulation Forms to document affected utilities and support prior rights cost responsibility assessments.
• Identify and flag High Voltage Line Act (HVLA) scenarios where relocation costs are fully billable to SHA.
• Review right-of-way plats to identify necessary fee simple and easement acquisitions required for utility relocation.
• Ensure compliance with US DOT PHMSA, FHWA, and SHA regulations in the development of Utility Statements for inclusion in construction bid documents.
• Assess utility relocation designs for conflicts with horizontal and vertical alignments, right-of-way constraints, grading plans, barrier placement, and maintenance of traffic requirements.
• Provide technical oversight on design standards, quantities, estimates, and specifications related to utility relocation.
• Manage the distribution of design documents to utility stakeholders throughout key project milestones, including Preliminary Investigation, Semi-Final Review, Final Review, PS&E, Advertisement, and subsequent revisions.
• Actively participate in key project meetings: PI, semi-final/final design reviews, partner coordination, pre-construction planning, and monthly progress tracking.
• Contribute to Value Engineering (VE) studies and constructability reviews to enhance project delivery and utility accommodation.
• Facilitate coordination meetings to address utility design and construction issues involving developers, public agencies, property owners, and community representatives.
• Develop preliminary and construction cost estimates for utility relocations for inclusion in the State's Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP).
• Evaluate PS&E submittals from utility companies to verify cost accuracy and scope alignment.
• Issue Utility Permits authorizing relocation work and ensure compliance throughout execution.
• Oversee multi-utility relocation efforts and manage on-site inspection and verification of work progress and quality.
• Coordinate complex relocations across multiple utility types, including:
High-voltage and secondary electric transmission
Electric distribution systems
Fiber optic and telecommunications infrastructure
Cable TV lines
Natural gas distribution
Water and wastewater systems
• Review and process high-value invoices (including amounts exceeding $1 million) from utility providers, validating costs and fiscal year allocations.
• Monitor utility billing activity to prevent overruns, document variances, and justify discrepancies.
• Serve as a point of contact during SHA construction phases to resolve unforeseen utility conflicts in real-time, ensuring alignment among SHA, utility owners, and contractors.
PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
Prepare comprehensive monthly Utility Status Reports for all active District 7 design projects, detailing utility relocation progress and schedules. Review, track, and respond to all utility-related correspondence from SHA offices, external agencies, and utility providers to ensure timely and accurate communication. Maintain organized project files, including records, correspondence, permits, and design plans; ensure documentation is properly filed and audit-ready. Serve as a key point of contact, providing responsive customer service to internal and external stakeholders regarding project-specific utility inquiries. Perform administrative and fiscal oversight tasks, including documenting utility-related expenditures, establishing and monitoring project budgets, and reviewing/negotiating cost adjustments. Attend and contribute to project milestone meetings, such as pre-bid, pre-construction, and design review meetings (preliminary, semi-final, and final), offering insight on utility coordination to reduce financial impact on SHA and utility companies. Participate in utility/contractor coordination meetings, construction progress updates, and installation review sessions to ensure adherence to SHA utility policies, timely relocation, and avoidance of construction delays or disputes. Prepare and process detailed utility statements for both the Utility Coordination Section and the Engineering Systems Design Team. Oversee record-keeping of all documentation related to utility reviews, relocations, and permitting, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and proper retention. Draft and administer Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for third-party work (e.g., landscaping, signage) within SHA rights-of-way, securing required approvals from the District Engineer. Develop and negotiate Letters of Agreement (LOAs) and MOUs with utility companies and local municipalities to integrate utility relocation scopes into SHA-managed projects.
PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
Prepare comprehensive monthly Utility Status Reports for all active District 7 design projects, detailing utility relocation progress and schedules. Review, track, and respond to all utility-related correspondence from SHA offices, external agencies, and utility providers to ensure timely and accurate communication. Maintain organized project files, including records, correspondence, permits, and design plans; ensure documentation is properly filed and audit-ready. Serve as a key point of contact, providing responsive customer service to internal and external stakeholders regarding project-specific utility inquiries. Perform administrative and fiscal oversight tasks, including documenting utility-related expenditures, establishing and monitoring project budgets, and reviewing/negotiating cost adjustments. Attend and contribute to project milestone meetings, such as pre-bid, pre-construction, and design review meetings (preliminary, semi-final, and final), offering insight on utility coordination to reduce financial impact on SHA and utility companies. Participate in utility/contractor coordination meetings, construction progress updates, and installation review sessions to ensure adherence to SHA utility policies, timely relocation, and avoidance of construction delays or disputes. Prepare and process detailed utility statements for both the Utility Coordination Section and the Engineering Systems Design Team. Oversee record-keeping of all documentation related to utility reviews, relocations, and permitting, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and proper retention. Draft and administer Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for third-party work (e.g., landscaping, signage) within SHA rights-of-way, securing required approvals from the District Engineer. Develop and negotiate Letters of Agreement (LOAs) and MOUs with utility companies and local municipalities to integrate utility relocation scopes into SHA-managed projects.