Duarte, CA
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The General Permit Conditions and Trench Repair Specification Policy was developed from an overwhelming response to public utility companies working within Duarte’s public right-of-way. Every year Public Works coordinates with multiple utility companies for the restoration of the pavement roadway. A need for an official policy was determined to help coordinate these efforts and provide direct and clear guidelines for permittees working in the public right-of-way.
Utility cuts, like other patches, cause damage that reduce the pavement condition of a street. In 2002, the Construction Practices Subcommittee of the American Public Works Association was assigned to research available documents related to pavement degradation cause by utility cuts. One finding estimated a reduction in pavement life by 20-56%. In an effort to maintain our pavement condition and exercise best management practices for work within our public right-of-way, the General Permit Condition and Trench Repair Specification Policy was created. In addition to the policy, staff has developed design specifications for trench repair. Every street and street repair situation is unique. Design criteria and construction standards cannot address every situation but, in order to maintain some form of consistency, these standards have been developed. In most cases, they provide the minimum acceptable standards for construction or repair. Consequently, when strictly applied, they will provide the minimally acceptable product. Therefore, this criteria has been developed to maintain the same integrity of the street pavement and subsurface condition prior to its being cut for utility installations.
The proposed criteria are guidelines to achieve the goal of “Quality” in street repairs. When used in conjunction with good planning and judgment, the repair methods will maintain the street at an acceptable condition with minimal patching failures. The requirements established in the General Permit Conditions and Trench Repair Specification Policy shall be enforced by the Director of Community Development and his or her representative.