Section 530.500  Construction Methods for Utility Installations

a)         Utility facilities shall be installed in a Department approved manner, as defined in Section 530.30.  Compliance with this Section does not necessarily constitute compliance with relevant rules of other State agencies such as the ILCC rules entitled "Construction of Electric Power and Communication Lines" (83 Ill. Adm. Code 305) and applicable Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

b)         Boring or Jacking

1)         Boring or jacking under State highways shall be accomplished from pits located a minimum of 30 feet from the edge of pavement on fully access-controlled highways and at a distance of ten feet plus the depth of the pit without shoring on conventional highways.  If shoring is used, the pits shall be located a minimum of ten feet from the edge of pavement on conventional highways.  The shoring shall be designed, erected, supported, braced, and maintained so that it will safely support all vertical and lateral loads that may be imposed upon it during the boring or jacking operation.

2)         Wet boring or jetting will not be permitted under the roadway structure of State highways.

3)         Borings over six inches in diameter shall be accomplished with an auger and following pipe, and the diameter of the auger shall not exceed the outside diameter of the following pipe by more than one inch.  Borings six inches and under may be accomplished by either jacking, guided whip auger, or auger with following pipe method.  Pits for boring or jacking shall be excavated no more than 48 hours in advance of boring or jacking operations and backfilled within 48 hours after boring or jacking operations are completed.  While pits are open, they shall be clearly marked and protected by barricades.

c)         Trenching

1)         The length of open trench shall be kept to the practicable minimum consistent with requirements for pipeline testing.

2)         Open trench and windrowed excavated material shall be protected as required by Section 530.240.  Where practicable, the excavated material shall be deposited between the roadway and the trench as added protection.

3)         Excavated material will not be allowed to remain on the paved portion of the roadway.  Where right-of-way width does not allow for windrowing excavated material off the paved portion of the roadway, excavated material shall be hauled to an off-road location.

4)         Any utility located within the drip line of any tree designated by the Department to be spared shall be bored under the root system.

d)         Backfilling

1)         All trenches and excavations under pavements shall be backfilled with a Department approved granular material and compacted in a Department approved manner as defined in Section 530.30.

2)         All other excavations shall be refilled with Department approved materials and construction methods, including compaction as defined in Section 530.30. When excavated material is hauled away or is unsuitable for backfill, suitable granular backfill shall be used.

e)         Pavement Cuts

            Pavement cuts for utility installation or repair will not be permitted on any State highway open for traffic.  If a variance is permitted in accordance with Section 530.130, the following requirements shall apply:

1)         All saw cuts will be full depth.

2)         Restoration of pavement shall be completed as quickly as feasible and shall be done in accordance with Section 530.250.

3)         Unless otherwise directed, temporary repair with bituminous mixture shall be allowed.

4)         Any failure of either the temporary repair or the restored pavement shall be immediately corrected.

f)         Material Storage on Right-of-Way

            All pipe, conduit, wire, poles, cross arms or other materials distributed along the highway prior to installation shall be placed as remotely as practicable from the edge of pavement in a manner to minimize its being a hazard to errant vehicles or an obstacle to highway maintenance and not in the clear zone.  If material is to be stored on highway right-of-way for more than two weeks prior to installation, approval must be obtained from the Department as defined in Section 530.30.

g)         Operational Restrictions

1)         Utility construction or maintenance operations on State highway right-of-way may be required to be discontinued during periods of inclement weather when such operations would create extraordinary hazards to highway traffic (e.g. the use of steel plates may be restricted in winter).

2)         Such operations may also be required to be discontinued or restricted when soil conditions are such that the utility work would result in extensive damage to the highway right-of-way.

3)         These restrictions will be waived when emergency work is required to restore vital utility services.