How Rebuilding a Haul Route Process Improved Planning for Multiple Projects
Access NEP rebuilt haul route planning with GIS, field verification, and 360° imagery, creating defensible, construction-ready routes for developers and agencies.
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Overview
A developer approached Access National Energy Partners with a familiar frustration. Their haul route maps were little more than lines and labels on a PDF. There was no meaningful insight into road conditions, past project experience, or how those routes would perform once construction traffic started. The lack of detail created uncertainty and left the project team without a defensible plan.
Access NEP stepped in to rebuild the process and has since supported multiple projects with haul route planning that is grounded in real data, field verification, and clear communication.
The Challenge
Haul route decisions made from static maps often fail to account for the realities that drive construction logistics. Without understanding road ownership, structural limits, nearby permits, or actual field conditions, developers risk selecting routes that are impractical, noncompliant, or vulnerable to avoidable delays.
Project teams require a process that goes beyond PDFs and provides a defensible foundation for permitting, design, and contractor coordination.
The Approach
The Access NEP team rebuilt the workflow from the ground up, beginning with a GIS-driven foundation. The first step was to confirm core data, including:
- Road ownership and public status
- Bridge limits and structural constraints
- Overlapping permits and nearby project activity
With the fundamentals established, the work moved into the field. The team evaluated real road conditions, captured high-definition 360-degree imagery, and published it to Google Street View so the entire project team could see actual field conditions rather than relying solely on desktop assumptions.
Next came route selection. Access NEP worked closely with the developer to identify preferred haul routes that balanced constructability, permitting requirements, and long-term roadway impacts.
Finally, the team delivered GIS files of the approved haul roads along with clear, driver-friendly maps that road agencies and contractors could easily understand and follow.
The Outcome
- A fully rebuilt haul route planning process grounded in GIS and field verification
- Clear visibility into real road conditions through 360-degree imagery
- Route options selected with an understanding of constructability, permitting needs, and long-term road impacts
- Practical mapping deliverables that support contractors, developers, and road agencies
The Takeaway
Effective haul route planning requires more than drawing lines on a map. It demands an understanding of how roads actually function under construction traffic and how different agencies view those same routes.
By combining GIS analysis, field verification, and clear communication, project teams can develop haul routes that are realistic, defensible, and ready for construction traffic long before the first truck ever hits the road.
