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1. When do I need a permit to construct utilities in the County right-of-way?

1. A Special Utility Permit is required for the following types of utility work within County road rights-of-way or easements:

• Construction of new utility facilities. Note: Underground utility construction within publicly dedicated future roadways of new subdivisions does not require this type of permit.
• Material upgrades to existing utility facilities.
• Material relocation or realignment of existing utility facilities, except for relocation required by the County.
• Material extensions of existing utility facilities.
• Service connections that require the placement or relocation of any utility pole or that require any open cut of the roadway pavement on arterial roadways, collector roadways, industrial/commercial roadways, transit routes, or any other roadway that has average daily traffic (ADT) volume of six thousand (6,000) vehicles per day or greater.
• Service connections that require two (2) or more open cuts of the roadway pavement by the same utility company within two hundred (200) feet of each other within a 6-month period.
• Relining and/or cleaning underground utility systems.
• Any utility work that requires the cutting of any pavement within the moratorium period.

2. A Maintenance Utility Permit is required for each utility company to cover the following work within County road rights-of-way or easements:

• Routine maintenance of existing utility facilities.
• Repairs to existing utility facility infrastructure that do not constitute a material upgrade or betterment of the utility facility.
• Underground utility facility construction within publicly dedicated future roadways of new subdivisions.
• Modifications to utility facilities that are required for Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, except for any such modification to WSSC utility facilities required to be made by a party under direct contract with the Department for a CIP project.
• Service connections that do not require the placement or relocation of any utility pole and do not require any open cut of the roadway pavement on arterial roadways, collector roadways, industrial/commercial roadways, transit routes, or any other roadway that has ADT volume of six thousand (6,000) vehicles per day or greater.
• Service connections that do not require two (2) or more open cuts of the roadway pavement by the same utility company within two hundred (200) feet of each other within a 6-month period.