May 2025 Vol. 80 No. 5

In this month’s Editor’s Log, Editor-in-Chief Robert Carpenter reflects on the fleeting nature of federal infrastructure funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, warning that recent budget proposals could undermine years of progress unless states and cities step up to meet the challenge.

In the forests of Northwest Wisconsin, Mosaic Technologies is laying nearly 400 miles of fiber to connect over 2,500 addresses, overcoming rugged terrain and tight deadlines to bring high-speed internet to remote communities.

In Pennsylvania, a groundbreaking fiber optic installation along the Turnpike is tackling two challenges at once: expanding the state’s digital backbone and closing the broadband gap in rural communities. With innovative micro-trenching methods and all-season materials, the project is on track to deliver 325 miles of new connectivity infrastructure by 2026.

Extend the life of your heavy equipment with smart practices that cut costs and boost productivity. From using high-quality fluids to operator training and preventive maintenance, Volvo Construction Equipment’s Tony D’Angelica outlines four key strategies to help fleets get more hours—and value—out of every machine.

Fort Wayne City Utilities is constructing a five-mile-long tunnel deep beneath the city to reduce combined sewer overflows into local rivers. Part of its Tunnel Works program, the project includes nine drop shafts, five of which feature IPEX’s Vortex Flow Inserts designed to minimize odors, prevent corrosion and improve wastewater quality before treatment.

The issue of pipeline safety, especially with regard to preventing damage to underground facilities during excavation, is a longstanding priority of the excavation construction industry. Although pipeline safety legislation has traditionally been bipartisan, battles over climate change and other peripheral issues have polarized the pipeline safety debate and obstructed efforts to move a bill through the legislative process and enacted into law.

Having originally joined the wastewater industry on the software development side more than 20 years ago, Wagner is now president and CEO of PipeLogix, a pipeline inspection software company based in Palm Desert, Calif.

The volume of underground construction activities in the Central America and Caribbean region will significantly accelerate due to an acute need of modernization of local energy infrastructure. Also, the need for solutions to frequent regional blackouts and energy shortages is driving work.

Explore HDD pullback options, including conventional setups, direct pullback, and non-threaded systems. Learn how each method impacts efficiency, flexibility, and jobsite performance.

Explore the latest business moves in the underground infrastructure industry, from groundbreaking tunnel construction to dealer expansions, cutting-edge pipeline detection technology, and beyond. This month’s Business column covers major projects and acquisitions, innovation milestones, and key developments shaping the field.

New VP of sales joins IP Corp; Victaulic executive retires after 37 years; NUCA appoints interim CEO — and more leadership moves in Underground Infrastructure’s Business People column.