Chapter 1: Caltrans Construction Organization, Section 2: Public Relations

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Published: February 2026

• 1-201 General
• 1-202 Relations Among Caltrans Personnel
  • 1-202A The Resident Engineer and Staff
  • 1-202B The Resident Engineer and the District
• 1-203 Relations With the Contractor
• 1-204 Relations With Utility Companies and Other Public Agencies
• 1-205 Relations With the Public
• 1-206 Relations With the Media and Traveling Public

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Section 2 Public Relations

1-201 General

As representatives of Caltrans, construction personnel should conduct themselves professionally at all times. The subject of communication is divided into five categories:

• Internal relations among Caltrans personnel
• Relations with the contractor
• Relations with utility companies and other public agencies
• Relations with the public
• Relations with the media and traveling public

1-202 Relations Among Caltrans Personnel

Within Caltrans, public relations are divided into two subcategories: relations between the resident engineer and staff, and relations between the resident engineer and the district.

1-202A The Resident Engineer and Staff

Developing and maintaining good relationships between Caltrans and other personnel is largely a matter of adequate communication and a clear division of responsibility.

Communication is important between the resident engineer and project personnel. It is recommended that resident engineers hold short staff meetings each workweek. At these meetings the resident engineer should brief assistant resident engineers on the planned operations, announce any changes or new assignments of responsibility, and discuss any other subjects deemed pertinent.

Resident engineers should provide personnel with an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities, and capacity for responsibility, and provide opportunities for assistant resident engineers to gain experience in the various construction phases.

Assignment rotation is encouraged as long as the effectiveness of the overall operation does not suffer. Similarly, if feasible, assigning personnel to operations different from those handled on previous projects is an option. Newly assigned personnel should study the applicable portions of the Standard Specifications, special provisions, plans, this manual, and any other Caltrans publications deemed applicable. An individual should not be assigned new work responsibilities until the resident engineer is confident that the individual can perform them correctly and effectively.

1-202B The Resident Engineer and the District

Communication is a shared responsibility. Resident engineers should keep their supervisors adequately informed about project events, so they are not caught off guard by information from outside sources. Likewise, supervisors should keep their personnel informed about decisions that affect their areas of responsibility. Resident engineers should learn about district decisions affecting their projects directly from their supervisors, not from outside sources.

All Caltrans functional units perform their duties based on the information available to them, just as construction forces do. When differences of opinion arise on any aspect of a project, whether related to design, traffic handling, or other issues, the resident engineer should approach the discussion with an open mind and work collaboratively to resolve the matter. Clear communication and mutual respect are essential to keeping the project moving forward.

1-203 Relations With the Contractor

In communicating with the contractor and the contractor’s personnel, it is important that the resident engineer take a clear position. It is better to start on a basis of administering the contract firmly in accordance with the plans and specifications than it is to address a situation later in the contract’s life caused by laxity.

The employees assigned to construction should have a thorough knowledge of the plans and specifications governing the contract. This should promote good relations with the contractor’s personnel. If the resident engineer and assistant resident engineers demonstrate thorough knowledge of the plans and specifications, it is more likely that the contractor’s personnel will respect the resident engineer’s judgment in cases where contract interpretation becomes an issue. A satisfactory relationship between Caltrans and the contractor generally results from good communication between the resident engineer and the contractor’s superintendent.

Contract administration involves several attributes. Ideally, resident engineers and assistant resident engineers should be experienced, resourceful, considerate, and have a thorough knowledge of the specifications and work to be done.

 

There are 2 types of specifications:

• Method specifications, which list explicit materials, equipment, and construction requirements. Method specifications are more restrictive to the contractor’s options.
• Quality assurance specifications contain statements of required results that focus on the desired quality level of the finished product.

Deviations from specified methods require change orders. Deviations must also provide equal or better results while preserving the contract’s integrity.

1-204 Relations With Utility Companies and Other Public Agencies

Good public relations with internal and external stakeholders will have a beneficial effect in completing a construction project within scope, schedule, and budget. Preconstruction discussions that may affect Caltrans functional units, local agencies, or communities should involve all stakeholders.

The resident engineer should make early personal contact and establish a mutually beneficial working relationship with staff of affected utility companies or other agencies. Agencies may include: local school districts, local transit agencies, permitting agencies, California Highway Patrol, local police organizations, local bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy groups, local community groups, local Native American tribal governments, and any other government agency or local group with an interest in the project. Early personal contact with staff from these agencies and groups will acquaint them with upcoming construction operations and will enable them to have input and schedule their work or services to the best advantage of all concerned parties.

1-205 Relations With the Public

Another important part of public relations is courteously interacting with the people living or working near the project. They are the ones most affected by construction operations. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, supplemented by Executive Order 12898, addresses environmental justice as the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

The following guidance on public outreach and stakeholder engagement addresses Caltrans’ mandated responsibility to make sure that projects do not adversely affect communities. When talking to the public, staff should limit comments to operational information only. All other questions or inquiries should be directed to the public information officer (PIO).

By courteously listening to and addressing the public’s questions and concerns, the resident engineer can generate good faith with the general public and individuals.

Construction operations, including temporary closures of streets and driveways, and construction noise (especially at night) may have an adverse effect on residents and businesses adjacent to the project. Informing people living and working near the project about the reason for, and the duration of the activity, will go a long way towards a higher degree of acceptance and tolerance. Timely notice is important. Also consider rescheduling construction activity around major businesses or public events.

The necessity for residential relocations should be considered during constructability reviews and, if necessary, discussed at project development team meetings. Details for temporary relocations appear in Section 10.10.05.01, “Temporary Residential Lodging due to Nighttime Construction Work,” of the Right of Way Manual.

If nighttime noise levels become an issue during construction, and temporary relocation of residents is not addressed in the project files, contact the construction field coordinator for guidance.

Start public relations early. The fullest possible cooperation of the contractor’s organization should be solicited to achieve the most effective public relations. The resident engineer and the superintendent can make sure people living and working in the area know that the inconvenience, noise and dust will be kept to a minimum. For some projects on metropolitan freeways, contractors distribute their own informational folders to area residents and businesses. This practice should be encouraged.

Project staff should refer all media inquiries to the district PIO and, unless specifically authorized, should politely direct such inquiries to the appropriate PIO rather than speak on behalf of Caltrans themselves.

1-206 Relations With the Media and Traveling Public

When it comes to the traveling public, highway construction information must be conveyed to large numbers of highway users, including those who commute regularly over a particular route and those who use the route occasionally, contact the PIO early in the project. Caltrans is responsible for environmental justice for the communities potentially affected by transportation decision-making processes, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To verify compliance with the federal regulations, Caltrans must endeavor to receive full and fair participation from the community and to equitably distribute burdens and benefits during the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of Caltrans projects. The PIO will use print media, social media, radio, internet, and television to publicize the upcoming work.

Another helpful method of promoting good public relations is to use district personnel as speakers during meetings at the local chambers of commerce and service clubs. Resident engineers so inclined might consider joining a service organization. Frequent notices and progress reports in the local media are also common and effective methods of keeping the public informed about changing project conditions.

The PIO should also issue news releases. The PIO should contact members of the local news media before the job starts, inform them how they can contact the proper person for information throughout the contract, and invite them to tour the project with the resident engineer. In special cases, the district may prepare and distribute pamphlets to motorists who are delayed as they pass through construction. If the traveling public outside of the district will be affected, the Caltrans information officer at Headquarters must be advised directly.

If someone from the media asks for information, refer them to the PIO. Unless specifically instructed to speak to the media, politely refer all questions to the appropriate PIO. Sometimes the PIOs will be the only individuals who may respond for Caltrans about an issue. The PIO may arrange for site visits for the media and will inform the resident engineer of the scheduled visit. The resident engineer should inform the contractor of these scheduled visits. In the case of a traffic event, an emergency, or other incidents that prompt unscheduled media visits, the resident engineer should inform the public information officer immediately.

Project personnel should always keep in mind that they are representatives of Caltrans and the State of California. As such, they are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner that will command respect, be a credit to the organization, and pass along vital information to the public. The resident engineer should provide project access and information as deemed safe, based on the project conditions.