Attorneys Experienced in Utilities Law and Litigation
Florida Statutes provide utilities with the right to place their facilities in public rights of way throughout the state. Sections 337.301, et seq., Florida Statutes, provide that utility facilities may be placed in highway rights of way, subject to regulation by the “authority. The Department of Transportation is the “authority” regulating the placement and maintenance of utilities in state road and federal highway rights of way.
The Department maintains comprehensive regulations in its Utilities Accommodation Manual (UAM). A utility owner must file an application for a permit prior to placing its facilities in the Department’s right-of-way, or making substantial changes to those facilities. Detailed location and engineering requirements are imposed by the UAM, which also provides a detailed exception process to allow for flexibility.