Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT): Operations Guidelines

Steve Rodriguez

Posted by Steve Rodriguez

As always, our goal is to continue communicating with city officials online, via email and by phone and provide you with updates on any city implementations. As we continue to monitor all jurisdictions for updates we’ve received operational updates from Chicago Department of Transportation(CDOT).

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Division of Infrastructure Management (DIM) reminds its stakeholders—including utility providers, construction companies, locators, and project managers—that public way management is an essential function.

DIM intends to operate its core work groups in accordance with measures proposed by public health officials.

  • OUC
  • Permitting
  • 811 Chicago
  • Public Way Enforcement

DIM will continue to require companies planning to excavate in the public right of way to obtain a permit and a dig ticket from CDOT prior to starting work. To ensure that work in the public right of way proceeds in an effective, efficient, and safe manner DIM asks users to adhere to the public way accommodations.

Public Way COVID-19 accommodations

  • Until further notice, all permit applications should be submitted electronically.
  • Public way stakeholders should only apply for a permit when they are ready to work.
    • DIM ask that permit requestors understand that some public way stakeholders may have diminished workforces due to COVID-19.
  • Only subcontractors who will actually work at a site should be added to a permit. For example, do not add multiple subcontractors who perform the same work to the permit. Again, this has always been the expectation, but is particularly important now.
  • Work which may impact health care facilities will only be permitted in the case of emergency repairs.
    • e.g., lane closures, potential for utility service disruption to the facility, etc.

Following the guidelines above, companies working in the public way should be able to continue their work without overly taxing the resources of other public way stakeholders. If you or your team has any additional questions, please reach out to our Chicago team!

Learn About Our Chicago Office

Do I still need a permit and a dig ticket from CDOT before excavating in the public right of way?

Yes, this is the one piece of this post that's a permanent, standing requirement rather than a COVID-era measure. Anyone planning to excavate in Chicago's public way must obtain both a CDOT permit and a dig ticket through 811 Chicago before starting work, regardless of any pandemic-specific guidance.

Are CDOT permit applications still required to be submitted electronically only?

This was framed as a "until further notice" COVID-era accommodation in 2020 - electronic submission has likely just become standard practice since, rather than remaining a special pandemic rule, but it's worth confirming current submission requirements directly with CDOT rather than relying on this 2020 framing.

Is it still standard practice to only add subcontractors who will actually work at a site to a permit?

Yes, this is described in the post itself as a longstanding expectation that predates COVID, not a new pandemic measure, so it remains standard practice for permit applications today.

Are there still special restrictions on work near healthcare facilities?

The specific 2020 restriction (only emergency repairs permitted near healthcare facilities) was tied to pandemic-era capacity concerns and is very likely no longer in effect as written - check current CDOT guidance if your project is near a hospital or healthcare facility, rather than assuming this 2020 restriction still applies.

Why did the city ask permit applicants to only apply when ready to work?

During 2020, this was meant to account for diminished public agency workforces and avoid tying up limited review capacity on permits that wouldn't be acted on right away - a reasonable practice in general, though the specific staffing rationale tied to COVID-19 no longer applies today.

 

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