Case Study: Owner’s Inadequate Utility Coordination Delays Work on Phoenix LRT Expansion (2019)

Project Overview
• Name: South Central Light Rail Extension
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• Year: 2019
• Project Size: $1.35 billion
• Scope: 5-mile light rail expansion with street reconstruction, stations, and underground utilities
• Lead Agencies/Contractors: Valley Metro /

Category of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• Contract Owner
• Utility Coordination

Summary of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
Valley Metro failed to fully coordinate with utility companies prior to issuing NTP. Multiple unmarked water and telecom lines were discovered during excavation, requiring redesigns and service relocations.

Root Cause Analysis

• Utility maps were outdated and unverified before construction.
• Owner’s subsurface utility engineering (SUE) effort was limited to select corridors.
• Contract assumed “utilities clear” when they were not.

Impacts Due to the Issue, Problem, or Challenge

• 7-month delay to achieve underground clearance.
• Contractor absorbed schedule compression risk to meet milestone targets.
• Additional cost exposure exceeded $14 million.

Corrective Actions Taken

1. Full Level-A SUE scanning is now required for all capital projects.
2. Utility agreements must be finalized before NTP issuance.
3. New SUE review team embedded in Valley Metro’s PMO.

Lessons Learned

• Verified utility location data is critical for urban civil projects.
• Assumptions of utility clearance must be contractually accurate.
• Owners should lead comprehensive utility conflict resolution pre-construction.

Audit & Prevention: Project Control Questions to Ask on Future Projects to Help Control the Situation

• Has Level-A SUE been performed across all impacted corridors?
• Are utility companies contractually committed to relocation timelines?
• Does the contract reflect real-world utility clearance status?