Clearing and Grubbing

Clearing and grubbing is basically a surface operation for the cutting and removing of timber, logs, brush, stumps and debris within or encroaching onto the right-of-way. The term also covers excavating and removing stumps, roots, submerged logs, snags, and other perishable or objectionable material. 

Construction Practices

Prior to the beginning of clearing or grubbing activities, the project engineer or the certified inspector is to inspect the area to determine if these activities are likely to cause damage or require access to adjacent private property. Typical damage that may occur to adjacent properties includes cutting through tree roots, pushing excavated material onto adjacent lands, and damaging septic systems or public utilities. Erosion may become a problem after ground cover is disturbed. The contractor is to install erosion control devices or procedures to protect the project limits, the environment, and private property. These operations shall be in accordance with the plans or as directed.

When grubbing or performing any work involving excavation, underground utilities are not to be disturbed. When felling, topping or trimming trees, broken or cut limbs are not to fall on or damage overhead wires. Personnel climbing trees in the vicinity of overhead utilities are to be trained in appropriate safety precautions and exercise extreme caution when working in the vicinity of overhead utilities. 

Vegetation on Private Property

Representatives of both the contractor and the department are to be aware that there are legal ramifications involved in trimming trees rooted on private property that overhang the right-of-way. The project engineer is to check the right-of-way agreements with reference to trees on adjacent property that may be affected by construction activity. No tree rooted on private property is to be trimmed without the written permission of the property owner. The contractor is responsible for obtaining such written permission and for providing a copy to the project engineer. 

If a tree or any portion of a tree rooted on private property is dead or so severely damaged that it will be a hazard to the traveling public, that portion must be removed even without written permission of the owner. Should such a situation develop, the project engineer is to notify the District Construction Engineer. The department's Right of Way Section, Construction Section, and Legal Section are to be notified before any cutting is performed. 

Disposal of Excess Material 

The disposal of all cleared or grubbed materials is the responsibility of the contractor. Such materials must be removed from the right-of-way and disposed at locations off the project outside the limits of view of the traveling public. The disposal of such material shall be in conformance with all state and local regulations and Specification. If the disposal area is not owned by the contractor, the contractor shall obtain a written agreement with the property owner allowing the placement of excess material on the property and specifying the type of material to be disposed. Excess material is not to be buried within the right of way.

Inspections for Hazardous Substances and archaeological or Pale ontological remain 

Hazardous materials. 

Prior to the contractor's operations, the project engineer or certified inspector is to inspect the area to be cleared and grubbed for evidence of hazardous materials, both surface and subsurface. Evidence of subsurface hazardous materials includes dying vegetation, abandoned pits or levees, discolored soils, odors, abandoned disposal containers (e.g., 55-gallon drums), cattle dipping vats, garbage dumps, standing liquids other than water, and powdery residues. If such items are present or the history of the area leads to concerns about the presence of hazardous waste materials, the project engineer is to contact the Materials and Testing Section's Environmental Unit. No work is to begin until a complete evaluation has been made and any hazardous materials removed. If evidence of hazardous materials is uncovered during clearing or grubbing operations, operations in the immediate area shall be stopped at once. The project engineer is to contact the Environmental Unit of the department's Materials and Testing Section. Operations shall not be restarted in the area until an evaluation has been completed and any hazardous material removed. If no hazardous materials are located during the department's evaluation of the site, operations may restart when the project engineer receives a release from the Environmental Unit of the department's Materials and Testing Section. 

Inspection for hazardous materials is to continue throughout all excavation activities. If evidence of hazardous materials is uncovered at any point during construction, activity in the area shall be discontinued immediately. Construction shall not be resumed in the affected area until all contamination has been removed and a release received from the Environmental Unit of the Materials and Testing Section. 

Archaeological or Pale ontological Inspections 

Prior to grubbing or excavation and continually during operations, the contractor, project engineer, and certified inspector are also to inspect the construction zone for areas of archaeological or pale ontological significance or endangered plant or animal species, cemeteries, etc. Areas of archaeological or historical significance are those showing evidence of past civilizations. Such evidence would be burial grounds, isolated graves, building remains, pottery shards, arrow heads, Indian middens (rather small hill elevated above the surrounding surface, may occur in both hilly and coastal terrain throughout the state), or dark discoloration of the soil with visible artifacts. Middens may be composed of shell as well as soil. 

Pale ontological sites are areas where evidence of preexisting fauna or flora are located. Such evidence will be in the form of fossils of either prehistoric animal or plant remains. Fossils may be either the imprint of remains in soil or rock or the minerally replaced remains of preexisting life forms. If deposits of pale ontological remains are uncovered, the contractor is to discontinue excavation and notify the project engineer. The project engineer is to notify the department's Public Hearings and Environmental Impact Section and headquarters Construction Section. All work is to cease in the affected area until a proper evaluation has been made and the appropriate authorities have removed any significant finds. 

Burning Vegetation

 The contractor may dispose of vegetation by burning. The burning of such material on the right-of-way shall be in accordance with all applicable laws and ordinances. While materials are being burned, they shall be under the constant attention of watchmen provided by the contractor. The burning of perishable materials shall not damage anything designated to remain on the right of way, surrounding forest cover or other adjacent property. 

ROW

Right of Way (ROW) is a right to make road or way over a piece of land . ROW is the area around a road, pipeline that is either government- or privately-owned for which you receive permission to work on. This is especially important when anyone is working in transportation projects.

There are lots of aspects of ROW but I am going to talk about it mainly from transportation side.

Let's take anexample of the highway which goes from one state to another, suppose that the width of the highway is 10 meters but the government Authority may own a 20 meter wide area.

Now the question iswhat is the need for this extra piece of land? Why the government needs additional land?

The government holds a Right of way wider than actual required area for many reasons. They use extra land for constructing sidewalks, utilities or to widen the road in future. Also street lights, Traffic Signals and street parking’s comes under Right of way.