A Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan in British Columbia needs to account for much more than the test-hole location shown on a utility investigation drawing. The hydrovac truck, hoses, worker positions, vehicle access, open-hole area, nearby traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, driveways, and changing work stages can all expand the actual roadside work zone.
For contractors completing utility verification, daylighting, or subsurface investigations beside BC roads, a site-specific Traffic Control Plan should be developed around the real hydrovac operation and the road environment. WorkSafeBC requirements, the BC Traffic Management Manual, the responsible road authority, permit conditions, and utility-owner requirements may all influence how the work is planned.
What Is a Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan?
A hydrovac test hole is commonly used to expose an underground utility at a specific location so its position can be physically verified before other excavation, drilling, design, or construction activity proceeds. The excavation itself may be relatively small, but the traffic-control area needed to carry out the work can be significantly larger.
A Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan documents how temporary traffic control will be arranged around that operation. Depending on the location, it may identify the hydrovac vehicle, test-hole work area, signs, channelizing devices, buffers, lane or shoulder occupation, worker positions, pedestrian routing, bicycle accommodation, and any other temporary arrangement needed for that particular stage.
This distinction matters because a plan based only on the coordinates of the test hole can underrepresent the actual work zone.
For example, a hole may fall entirely within a parking lane while the hydrovac truck extends into an adjacent travel lane. The excavation may be beside a sidewalk, but hoses and workers may need space between the truck and the test hole. At another site, the hole may technically be beyond the edge line while the truck cannot fit completely within the usable shoulder.
The traffic plan therefore needs to represent the complete hydrovac operating footprint, not simply a symbol identifying where the ground will be opened.
Why Site-Specific Traffic Planning Matters for Hydrovac Test Holes
Hydrovac test-hole work can place workers close to moving vehicles before, during, and after excavation.
Under WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation Part 18 – Traffic Control, an employer must ensure effective traffic control whenever traffic could be hazardous to a worker. WorkSafeBC also states that the Traffic Management Manual applies to work zones and requires a qualified person to complete a risk assessment before workers perform activities that may expose them to traffic.
For short-duration and long-duration work, WorkSafeBC requires the risk assessment to be in writing and to consider matters including work duration, time of day, traffic volume, sight lines, posted speeds, work-zone configuration, lane widths, equipment movement and storage, environmental conditions, overlapping work activities, the possible need for traffic control persons, and the required level of supervision. A written Traffic Control Plan must then be developed from that risk assessment.
This means the presence of a test hole alone does not determine the traffic-control arrangement.
A hydrovac operation on a low-volume local road can be very different from one beside a high-volume arterial. A shoulder operation may involve cyclists. An urban test hole may affect parking, a loading area, a bus stop, pedestrian movement, or business access. Work close to an intersection can introduce turning movements and sight-line constraints that do not exist at a midblock location.
The correct starting point is therefore not to choose a typical drawing first. It is to understand where the workers and equipment will actually be and how road users will interact with them.
Core Requirements to Consider in a Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan
A useful traffic plan should show enough information for the proposed roadside operation to be understood as a complete work zone. For hydrovac work, several details deserve particular attention.
Show the Hydrovac Truck, Not Just the Test Hole
The truck can be one of the largest elements influencing the Traffic Control Plan.
The plan should consider the proposed vehicle position relative to the curb, shoulder, parking lane, bicycle facility, travel lane, sidewalk, intersection, and test-hole location. Truck width and length can determine whether the vehicle remains completely outside live traffic or whether additional road space is affected.
The working side of the truck also matters. Hydrovac operators may need access to controls, compartments, hoses, or other equipment during the operation. A layout that appears adequate based only on vehicle dimensions may create additional worker exposure if the active work side faces live traffic.
Access and egress should also be considered. The traffic-control arrangement needs to make sense not only after the vehicle is parked but also while the truck enters the work area, positions itself, relocates, and leaves.
Account for Hoses, Workers, and the Complete Operating Envelope
A vacuum or water hose can connect a truck to a test hole some distance away. That connection becomes part of the practical work zone.
The plan should consider whether hoses or workers interact with a shoulder, parking lane, bicycle facility, sidewalk, or another public route. Worker movement between the vehicle and excavation point should not be treated as separate from traffic planning.
The same applies to spoil-handling activities, equipment access, temporary storage, and space needed around the hole. If a worker needs additional room to operate equipment or observe the exposure, that area should be understood before the traffic-control layout is finalized.
This is why the Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan in British Columbia should be built outward from the full operation rather than inward from a single test-hole coordinate.
Consider Pedestrians, Cyclists, Driveways, and Transit
Roadside utility work often affects people who are not travelling in the main vehicle lanes.
If the work affects a sidewalk or crossing, the temporary pedestrian route needs to be workable at the actual site. Simply directing pedestrians across the street may not solve the problem if there is no appropriate crossing or accessible route available. Bicycle facilities also need to be identified rather than being absorbed into the general traffic discussion. A truck occupying a bicycle lane can create a transition issue before cyclists even reach the work area. Driveways, building entrances, loading areas, bus stops, and emergency access can further change the available space.
The City of Vancouver’s current traffic-management requirements illustrate the level of detail that can be relevant. Its Traffic Control Plan guidance calls for street layouts to show items including lane lines, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, pavement markings, driveways, bus stops, and transit facilities.
Plan for the Test Hole Until the Area Is Closed Out
Traffic exposure does not necessarily end when the hydrovac truck stops excavating.
The sequence may include traffic-control setup, truck positioning, hose installation, hydrovac excavation, utility verification, work around the open hole, temporary protection or restoration, equipment removal, truck departure, and removal of temporary traffic-control devices. The Traffic Control Plan should reflect the stage or stages during which the roadside area is affected.
WorkSafeBC requires a Traffic Control Plan for short- and long-duration work to specify the traffic-control measures, implementation instructions, roles and responsibilities, and a schedule for implementation, regular review, and updating. The plan must also remain accessible to workers at the work zone.
Not sure your current setup accounts for the full truck footprint and worker movement? A quick review can catch gaps before the plan reaches a road authority.
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Common Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan Mistakes
Many planning issues occur because the test hole is treated as the entire project footprint. A more useful approach is to compare the drawing with how the hydrovac work will actually happen in the field.
Showing Only the Excavation Point
A small test-hole marker does not explain where the truck will sit, where workers will stand, how hoses will be routed, which side of the vehicle will be accessed, or how the truck will enter and exit. If those elements affect traffic, they need to be considered when defining the work zone.
For example, a test hole 0.5 metres behind the curb does not automatically mean a curbside setup will avoid the travel lane. The vehicle and operating space may still extend farther into the roadway.
Using One Generic Drawing for Every Test Hole
Utility investigation programs can involve multiple test holes along the same corridor.
Even relatively short distances between holes can introduce different road conditions. The first location may have a wide shoulder. The next may be beside a driveway. Another may fall near an intersection, bus stop, bicycle facility, pedestrian crossing, or roadside barrier.
One configuration should not automatically be assumed to fit every location. Where the impacts change, the project may require different stages, different Traffic Control Plan configurations, or multiple drawings that reflect those conditions.
Confusing a BC 1 Call Ticket With Traffic or Road Authorization
BC 1 Call and a Traffic Control Plan serve different purposes. BC 1 Call states that its participating members respond to locate requests with information such as site plans, physical surface markings, or digging instructions. Current member-response periods are generally three working days, with five working days for Large Project requests. BC 1 Call also notes that private-property services may not always be identified by utility owners.
Those utility-locating steps do not determine whether a road authority requires a traffic plan or other roadway authorization.
Similarly, utility-owner instructions can add another layer. FortisBC, for example, states that gas-line information should be available onsite and that the location of the gas line is to be confirmed by hand digging or hydrovac excavation equipment under its applicable digging guidance.
Contractors should therefore keep four questions separate:
What underground utility information is required? What does the utility owner require? Who controls the road? What traffic-control documentation or authorization applies?
Continuing When the Actual Setup No Longer Matches the Plan
A hydrovac project can change after the Traffic Control Plan is prepared.
A truck may need to park differently than expected. A proposed hole may move. A driveway may need to remain open. The shoulder could be narrower than shown. Another contractor may occupy part of the planned work area.
WorkSafeBC requires a risk assessment to be reviewed and updated when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or when there has been a significant change in the scope or nature of the work. Where that update affects the risk assessment, the Traffic Control Plan must also be amended to address the change.
The plan should describe the actual work zone rather than being treated as a static drawing regardless of field conditions.
How Road Authority Requirements Affect Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plans in BC
Before preparing a roadside traffic plan, confirm who controls the road.
British Columbia does not have one municipal permit process that applies everywhere. Provincial highways and individual municipalities can have different submission requirements.
Provincial Highway Work
The BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit maintains current Highway Use Permit guidance and resources, which include the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways, Highway Permits and Approvals Manual, Utility Policy Manual, Works Checklist, and H1080 Work Notification/Lane Closure Request and Approval form. Highway Use Permit applications can be submitted through PASport.
Where the H1080 process applies, the current form requires the applicable traffic-control diagram and a detailed Traffic Management Plan. Once a lane-closure approval is issued, the form also requires the approval to remain at the work site and contains conditions relating to closure installation, removal, schedule changes, and queue monitoring.
For hydrovac work, this makes the early site review important. Contractors should know whether the truck affects the shoulder or travel lane, whether pedestrians or cyclists are involved, and whether the location is near a bridge, structure, or intersection before finalizing the proposed traffic arrangement.
Vancouver Test-Hole Work
Vancouver is particularly relevant because the City’s current guidance explicitly discusses test holes.
The City states that third-party utility construction, maintenance, or test-hole projects need to submit a Traffic Control Plan before applying for a utilities permit. It also states that longer or multi-phase projects can require multiple Traffic Control Plans as work progresses.
For a contractor performing several hydrovac exposures in Vancouver, this is an important distinction. The location of each test hole, road classification, traffic impact, pedestrian condition, cycling facility, and proposed work dates can influence what needs to be shown.
Burnaby and Surrey Have Their Own Processes
Burnaby states that a Traffic Control Permit is required when work temporarily causes a traffic change or closes a road, lane, path, sidewalk, bicycle lane, or other part of City right-of-way.
Surrey’s Traffic Obstruction Permit guidance requires a site-specific Traffic Control Plan for applicable work, designed in accordance with the provincial Traffic Management Manual. Surrey’s Traffic Management Plan requirements also emphasize site-, segment-, or phase-specific drawings rather than generic plans for significant work.
The practical lesson is straightforward: do not assume a plan developed for a provincial highway, Vancouver street, Burnaby road, or Surrey road follows the same administrative pathway.
Confirm the jurisdiction first and build the Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan in British Columbia around the actual authority and site.
Working across provincial highways and multiple municipalities on the same project? We can confirm the applicable authority and prepare the documentation to match.
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How Plan My Traffic Supports Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Planning
Plan My Traffic focuses on the traffic-planning and documentation side of roadside work.
For hydrovac projects, a site-specific Traffic Control Plan can be developed from the actual test-hole locations, truck dimensions, roadway geometry, work limits, proposed vehicle position, lane or shoulder impacts, pedestrian and cyclist conditions, and construction staging supplied for the project.
This is particularly useful when several test holes are planned along a corridor. Rather than treating every work point as identical, the drawings can reflect meaningful changes in the roadway environment and proposed work-zone configuration.
To prepare the plan efficiently, contractors should provide the project location, road authority if known, number and location of test holes, hydrovac truck dimensions, proposed work dates and hours, expected duration, site photographs or drawings, planned truck position, affected lanes or shoulders, pedestrian and cycling impacts, nearby driveways or transit facilities, and any authority comments already received.
Providing these details early helps reduce assumptions and allows the plan to represent the actual roadside activity.
Plan My Traffic does not replace BC 1 Call, the utility owner, employer field responsibilities, or the applicable road authority. The role of the traffic plan is to document the proposed temporary traffic-control arrangement based on the project information and requirements that apply to the site.
Conclusion
A Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan in British Columbia needs to represent far more than the excavation point marked on a utility drawing. The hydrovac truck footprint, hose routing, worker positions, vehicle access and egress, pedestrian and cyclist routes, open-hole protection, work-sequence stages, and applicable road authority requirements can all shape the traffic-control arrangement that is actually needed. Treating the test hole as the entire work zone is one of the most common ways a plan can fall short of real field conditions.
For contractors carrying out roadside utility verification, the stronger approach is to start with the complete hydrovac operating envelope, confirm which road authority governs the site, and then build the Traffic Control Plan around those specific conditions rather than reusing one generic layout across multiple locations.
Planning roadside hydrovac test holes in BC? Get a site-specific Traffic Control Plan built around your actual work locations, truck footprint, and hydrovac operation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does every hydrovac test hole in British Columbia require the same Traffic Control Plan?
No, The appropriate arrangement depends on the work duration, traffic exposure, road configuration, truck position, equipment footprint, traffic speed and volume, sight lines, pedestrian and cyclist activity, and applicable authority requirements. Two similar test holes can therefore require different traffic-control arrangements when they are located on different roads or at different points along the same corridor.
2. What should be shown on a Hydrovac Test Hole Traffic Control Plan?
The plan should reflect the conditions relevant to that specific work zone. Depending on the site, this can include the hydrovac truck, test-hole location, worker area, hose route, lane or shoulder occupation, temporary traffic-control devices, pedestrian or bicycle accommodations, driveways, intersections, and access and egress. The exact content should be determined from the project conditions and applicable authority requirements.
3. Is a BC 1 Call ticket the same as permission to perform roadside hydrovac work?
No, BC 1 Call is part of the underground infrastructure notification and locate process. Road ownership, roadway permits, utility-owner requirements, employer responsibilities, and traffic-control requirements are separate matters that may also need to be addressed before the work proceeds.
4. Can one Traffic Control Plan cover multiple hydrovac test holes?
Potentially, but this depends on whether the traffic conditions and work-zone arrangement remain appropriately represented. A corridor with changing lane widths, shoulders, intersections, driveways, bicycle facilities, pedestrian conditions, or truck positions may require multiple stages or drawings rather than one identical setup for every hole.
5. What should contractors do if the hydrovac setup changes in the field?
The changed conditions should be reviewed rather than assuming the original Traffic Control Plan still represents the work zone. WorkSafeBC requires the risk assessment to be reviewed when it is no longer valid or when the scope or nature of the work changes significantly, with corresponding Traffic Control Plan amendments where required.
NOTE: This article provides general information about hydrovac test-hole traffic planning in British Columbia. Requirements vary by road authority, municipality, permit, utility owner, work method, equipment, contract, and site condition. Confirm current project requirements with the applicable authority and qualified project personnel before work begins.
