Tunneling
Hudson Tunnel Project achieves another major construction milestone
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced this week that the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3 (HYCC-3) Project is more than 50 percent complete and is on track to be finished in 2026. The project reached this significant milestone on schedule and on budget.
Fort Wayne, Ind., tunnel project uses Vortex inserts to protect sewer system
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.
Factory testing completed for DC Water’s Potomac River tunnel boring machine
DC Water completes factory testing on tunnel boring machine Mary, which will dig 2.4 miles as part of the Potomac River Tunnel project to cut sewer overflows by 93%.
Work paused on NYC’s massive tunnel repair as drought triggers contract overhaul
The $2 billion effort to fix a leak in New York City’s Delaware Aqueduct, which supplies water to millions, is now expected to finish after 2027 due to drought-related delays and contract revisions.
$51 million settlement adds to delays on Hartford, Conn., 41-million-gallon sewer tunnel
Hartford, Connecticut’s massive South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel project is now expected to cost $335 million and won’t be completed until 2026 after a legal dispute over groundwater conditions delayed progress.
DC Water's Potomac River Tunnel Project to begin controlled underground blasting
As part of the excavation work for DC Water’s Potomac River Tunnel Project, weekly controlled underground blasting operations at the West Potomac Park construction site will begin as early as next week and continue through February 2026. Once blasting is complete, tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be used to construct the 5.5-mile tunnel.
Army Corps eyes fall 2025 for Line 5 Tunnel permit decision
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it expects to make a permit decision on the Line 5 Tunnel Project in fall 2025, with a draft environmental review set for release May 30 and public comments accepted through June.
Manchester, N.H. awards contract for tunnel project to address sewer overflows
Methuen Obayashi Joint Venture has been awarded a contract for the city of Manchester, New Hampshire’s Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel Project, the Union Leader reported. The Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel is a 2.25-mile tunnel that once built, will measure 12.5 feet in diameter and run 30- to 80-feet underground.
Final tunnel construction begins for Toronto’s Eglinton transit extension project
According to Metrolinx, crews in Toronto have begun the final phase of construction for tunnels that will connect the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension to the existing terminus of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Line 5 Eglinton) at Mount Dennis Station in Toronto, Canada.
U.S. Army Corps moves to expedite Line 5 tunnel under Trump’s emergency order
The proposed tunnel for an oil and gas pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac has faced continued opposition from environmental groups. President Trump issued an order declaring an “energy emergency” in the early days of his second administration, calling on projects such as Line 5 to move forward at rapid pace.
Gov. Newsom’s push to advance $20 billion Delta Conveyance tunnel project continues
According to Los Angeles Times, state hearings are continuing as Calif. Governor Newsom fights for approvals to build a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Lawyers for both opponents and supporters are engaged in debates over the project's costs, benefits and risks.
MTA advances $7.7 billion East Harlem subway tunnel project with $186 million oversight contract
The MTA has approved a $186.6 million contract with AECOM-HNTB to oversee tunneling and systems work for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway extension, advancing one of New York’s largest underground infrastructure projects into East Harlem.
Willamette River goes sewer overflow-free thanks to Big Pipe system in Portland, Ore.
Portland recently marked a major environmental milestone: one full year without a combined sewer overflow (CSO) into the Willamette River, a testament to the long-term success of the city’s $1.4 billion Big Pipe Project.
Tribes withdraw Line 5 tunnel cooperation in protest of Trump’s “energy emergency” declaration
According to Interlochen Public Radio (IPR), six native tribes in Michigan have withdrawn their support as cooperating agencies for the Line 5 tunnel project in a formal letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Attempts to fast-track the project under President Trump's "energy emergency" declaration have amplified concerns on potential impacts from construction.
New report shows Hudson Tunnel Project supports $4.5 billion in economic output
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has published a new economic impact analysis of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), finding that the work currently underway will support 20,200 direct and indirect jobs while generating $4.5 billion in economic output and $1.7 billion in labor income.
Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
The innovation, known as a "peristaltic conduit," mimics the segmented movement of earthworms to propel itself through the soil with minimal disruption to existing infrastructure.
DC Water granted approval for construction of Piney Branch Tunnel Project
DC Water’s Piney Branch Tunnel Project is moving ahead with construction, the next phase of the Authority’s Clean Rivers initiative. The 4.2-million-gallon underground storage facility will capture stormwater and untreated sewage during heavy rains, holding it until the overflow can be released back into the system during low flow periods and treated at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility.
IER, Mackinac urge Defense Secretary to expedite Line 5 Tunnel construction
Earlier this week, officials from the Institute for Energy Research (IER) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging the swift completion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the proposed Line 5 Tunnel project in Michigan.
Newsom announces key permit for Delta Conveyance Project, boosting water infrastructure
The Delta Conveyance Project, aimed at upgrading the State Water Project, has received an essential Incidental Take Permit, a necessary approval to move forward with the initiative.
WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
The Clack-A-Mole Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) was retrieved from the Willamette River in Oregon City, Ore., at the end of January after being submerged for more than seven months. During that time, the 250,000-pound machine drilled a half-milelong, nine-foot-diameter tunnel to construct a new outfall pipeline to transport treated water.
Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
According to Mirror Indy, Citizens Energy Group’s DigIndy tunnel system has entered its final construction phases, and residents of Indianapolis should be prepared for a few road closures this month as construction continues.
Frontier-Kemper JV lands $1.2 billion contract to begin construction on Hudson Tunnel Project
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has awarded a $1.18 billion contract for the Manhattan Tunnel Project to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV and authorized the notice to proceed with construction. Completion is anticipated in 2029 for this portion of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP).
Jacobs helps modernize Virginia’s Alexandria sewer system to improve water quality
The RiverRenew project involves the construction of a 2-mile-long, 12-foot diameter tunnel, along with two drop shafts, a deep pump station, and other infrastructure upgrades.
Smuggling tunnel equipped with ventilation discovered in El Paso storm drain system
U.S. Border Patrol agents, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), uncovered a sophisticated man-made tunnel on Jan. 9 that connected Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to the El Paso storm drain system.
Blackwater CSO tunnel project begins drill-and-blast phase of construction
Beginning Monday, January 13, Lynchburg Water Resources’ (LWR) contractor, Atkinson Construction, will begin the drill-and-blast phase of construction for the Blackwater CSO Tunnel project. The Blackwater CSO Tunnel Project, called LYHBeyond, is the largest capital improvement project in Lynchburg’s history.
Enbridge should reconsider Line 5 tunnel boring project, IEEFA report says
Enbridge Energy's plan to bore a tunnel between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron to replace an underwater segment of Line 5 is costly and ill-advised, according to a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Hudson Tunnel Project utility relocation phase more than 50% complete, GDC says
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced 50% completion of the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project. This work marks an essential phase of the Hudson Tunnel Project as it will create an access point for launching the Tunnel Boring Machines.
Jacobs to oversee 5.3-mile water supply tunnel for Metro Vancouver
As the program manager, Jacobs will oversee permitting, design, project controls, and construction of the critical water infrastructure.
Excavation begins for Ontario Line’s first downtown subway tunnels
Excavation has started near Exhibition Station for the Ontario Line’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site. This 16-meter-deep shaft will mark the starting point for two TBMs that will create twin tunnels spanning approximately six kilometers—the first downtown subway tunnel project in Toronto in over 60 years.
DC Water continues progress on Potomac River Tunnel Project
DC Water has opened a new road as part of the Potomac River Tunnel (PRT) Project. The road provides an easy way to get around the main construction site in West Potomac Park, which will remain active until the project's completion in 2030.
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- NTSB publishes preliminary report on fatal gas pipeline explosion in Lexington, Mo.
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds
- Ditch Witch West sells first Bulldog trencher to speed up undergrounding work along West Coast
- Centuri awarded nearly $400 million for U.S. gas infrastructure work
- Maryland lawmakers push to curb BGE pipeline spending, citing safety and cost concerns
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish