Tunneling
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.
Alaska Transportation Dept. to spend $1 million on feasibility study for tunnel megaproject
Alaska state transportation officials will conduct a $1 million feasibility study to evaluate its proposed transportation tunnel connecting Anchorage and Point MacKenzie, according to Anchorage Daily News.
Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
On Oct. 29, the City of Lynchburg broke ground on the Blackwater CSO Tunnel Project, a milestone in local infrastructure and the largest capital improvement in the city’s history. Known as LYHBeyond, the project aims to significantly reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and safeguard the city’s waterways.
California's Anderson Dam tunnel project marks milestone as completion nears
To complete the tunnel’s last 347 feet, crews used a specialized micro-tunnel boring machine, maneuvering it 30 feet beneath the reservoir’s surface. After the boring was done, divers and construction teams carefully removed the machine from the tunnel’s endpoint using a large crane.
Frontier-Kemper wins $1.1 billion New York tunnel project
(UI) – Tutor Perini subsidiary Frontier-Kemper Constructors has been awarded a contract valued at approx. $1.1 billion by the New York City Dept of Environmental Protection for the Kensico-Eastview Connection Tunnel Project.
Tunnel boring machine ‘Clack-A-Mole’ nears one-third completion in Oregon outfall project
As of Sept. 24, Clack-A-Mole has mined 770 feet of the total 2,370-foot tunnel, reaching 32% completion. Clack-A-Mole, weighing a massive 225,000 pounds, is currently averaging about 32 feet of progress per day as it digs a path toward the river.
- HDD industry faces challenges as cities push back on fiber drilling disruptions
- 2 workers killed, 1 injured while working on sewer line in Mobile, Ala.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico
- Tunnel boring continues under Chesapeake Bay for $3.9 billion HRBT Expansion project
- Judge approves construction for key portion of $485 million pipeline in Larimer County, Colo.
- New products: Latest industry developments
- 31 workers rescued after LA tunnel partially collapses
- Ohio Supreme Court rules sewer line location isn’t a ‘defect’ in property dispute
- Faulconer Construction begins rock blasting for water pipeline project in Charlottesville, Va.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico