Infrastructure surrounds us every day, yet much of it goes unnoticed. Roads, utilities, sidewalks, and public spaces quietly support our communities, even though many residents may not fully understand how these systems work or why they matter. For professional engineers, this gap in understanding can create challenges when planning, maintaining, or improving public infrastructure. At Bolton & Menk, we believe engineers play an important role not only in designing infrastructure, but also in helping communities better understand the systems they rely on.
That’s why we created BLINK: Infrastructure Explained, a short-form video series designed to make complex infrastructure topics approachable and easy to understand. This episode, What Is A Right-of-Way?, introduces a foundational concept that is critical to nearly every community.
Right-of-way space supports safe crossings, roadway infrastructure, and the essential systems communities rely on every day.
What is a right-of-way?
A right-of-way is land reserved for public use that allows communities to build, operate, and maintain essential infrastructure. While it may appear to be an invisible boundary
along a roadway, the right-of-way is what enables safe transportation, reliable utilities, and long-term community planning.
In the BLINK video, Bolton & Menk engineers explain how the right-of-way supports infrastructure both above and below ground. Above ground, it includes roadways, sidewalks, trails, signage, and lighting. Below ground, it supports stormwater systems, water and sewer pipes, gas lines, and communication utilities. This shared space allows public agencies and utility providers to access and maintain these systems efficiently, helping reduce disruptions and manage costs for communities.
Understanding the right-of-way also helps explain why public works or utility crews may be working near private property, or why certain areas must remain clear for future improvements. These spaces protect public access and ensure that infrastructure can adapt as communities grow and change. Without protected rights-of-way, routine activities like snow removal, utility repairs, or street reconstruction would be more difficult, more disruptive, and more expensive.
Protected right-of-way allows crews to safely access infrastructure for repairs, maintenance, and future expansion.
Beyond supporting infrastructure, right-of-way services play a critical role in successful project delivery. Infrastructure projects often require access to land across multiple properties, each with its own ownership, regulations, and expectations. Without careful coordination, these complexities can introduce delays, increase costs, and create risk.
Right-of-way services help guide projects from planning into construction by addressing these challenges early and proactively. Through property research, landowner coordination, easement acquisition, permitting, and documentation, our team helps reduce risk, protect schedules and budgets, and keep projects moving forward efficiently.
Right-of-Way documentation supports land access, coordination, and efficient project delivery.
These efforts not only support project timelines and outcomes but also shape the experience of those directly impacted. A thoughtful, locally informed approach to landowner communication and negotiation helps build trust, minimize conflict, and create better outcomes for both project sponsors and the public.
Supporting STEM and the PE Profession
BLINK: Infrastructure Explained is part of Bolton & Menk’s broader commitment to public education, advocacy, and community engagement. By breaking down engineering concepts into clear, relatable explanations, the series highlights the value professional engineers bring to everyday life. It also supports STEM awareness by showing how engineering directly impacts safety, mobility, and quality of life in our communities.
For Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers members and the public alike, resources like BLINK help foster a greater appreciation for the work engineers do behind the scenes.
By improving understanding of infrastructure fundamentals such as rights-of-way, engineers can strengthen trust, encourage informed conversations, and help communities plan confidently for the future.
Learn More
For more information about Bolton & Menk’s right-of-way services, contact Kyle Hopp at kyle.hopp@bolton-menk.com.