Underground Construction
LA recovery reports call for $650 million power line burial, major utility upgrades in Pacific Palisades
Los Angeles recovery reports recommend $650 million in power line burial and major water system upgrades in Pacific Palisades after wildfire damage exposed evacuation and infrastructure weaknesses.
LSC to build 240-mile underground dark fiber network in Indianapolis
Light Source Communications plans to build a 240-mile underground dark fiber network across Indianapolis, expanding data center connectivity with five new metro fiber rings scheduled for completion in 2027.
Infrastructure gaps spotlighted as Alaska LNG pipeline plans advance
Alaska lawmakers are raising concerns over whether the state’s road network is ready to support construction of the proposed Alaska LNG pipeline. With estimates topping $1 billion for upgrades and timelines stretching years, questions around transportation capacity, logistics and construction readiness are emerging as key hurdles ahead of pipeline development.
Fiber construction market looks very strong through 2030
Michael C. Render, RVA LLC According to research conducted by RVA for the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 2025 marked a record year for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment. During this period, 11.8 million additional homes were passed an..
Altadena residents rebuilding after fire face new costs from undergrounding plan
Altadena residents say SoCal Edison’s wildfire mitigation plan to bury power lines is leaving homeowners with unexpected bills of up to $40,000, sparking backlash as rebuilding continues after the Eaton Fire.
‘We can’t build the way we used to’: SAWS COO calls for a new utility playbook
At UIC 2026 in San Antonio, SAWS COO Andrea Huizar Beymer warned utilities that innovation, trenchless technology and long-term planning are no longer optional as growth and aging infrastructure collide nationwide.
Baltimore Key Bridge rebuild hits $5.2 billion as pier protection drives costs
The cost to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has doubled to as much as $5.2 billion, driven by expanded pier protection, deeper foundations, and updated safety standards.
Box culvert, piling and bridge substructure work advance across north Mississippi
Box culvert installation, driven piling and bridge foundation work are moving forward on multiple MDOT projects across north Mississippi, supporting long-term structural and drainage improvements.
UIC 2026: Moving your business forward starts here
The infrastructure problems you're facing today didn't exist five years ago. And the ones coming next year? You can't solve them with last decade's playbook. UIC 2026 exists to close that gap – two concentrated days where you get ahead of the curve instead of scrambling to catch up.
Pasadena, Calif., upgrades 30 underground electrical vaults to boost grid reliability
Pasadena Water and Power is upgrading 30 underground electrical vaults across 4.5 miles of city streets to strengthen grid reliability and support its goal of achieving 100% carbon-free energy by 2030.
Washington adopts data-driven tools to plan underground power corridors
Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council is using WSP’s new Spatial Decision Support mapping platform to modernize siting and permitting for high-voltage transmission lines, including underground infrastructure.
339-mile Quebec-to-NYC hydropower line enters last stage of construction
The Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 339-mile underground and underwater power line designed to deliver Canadian hydropower to New York City, has entered its final installation phase.
Hartford, Conn., begins $316 million underground transmission upgrade
Eversource is rolling out a $316 million underground transmission line modernization in Hartford, replacing 7 miles of aged oil-filled cable with safer, longer-lasting XLPE technology.
Houston considering new underground tunnels for flood mitigation
Harris County in Houston, Texas, is exploring substantial projects to mitigate flooding, including the construction of tunnels over 100 feet below the water. Over the past six years, the flood control district has invested $4.5 million in tunnel studies, partially funded by a federal grant.
PUC faces pressure to consider underground option in Texas power line fight
A yearslong fight over moving a high-voltage transmission line closer to homes in Driftwood, Texas, has reignited. Landowners say the PUC must step in, but the commission has delayed its decision again amid safety, cost and property rights concerns.
Celebrate excellence: Underground Infrastructure awards now open for submissions
Celebrate innovation in underground infrastructure. Submit your project for the 2025 UI Awards, honoring excellence in HDD, fiber, water, sewer, gas, power, asset management, and emerging technologies.
Normet appoints new tunneling director to expand North, Latin America reach
Normet, a global technology company specializing in underground solutions, tunneling and civil engineering, has appointed Claudia Hernandez as Director of Tunneling Americas, reinforcing its goal to expand across both North America and Latin America. Claudia has held key technical and leadership roles supporting some of the world's most complex underground projects, Normet stated.
Century-old pipe exploded underground, flooding Uptown New Orleans streets
A century-old 30-inch water main exploded underground in Uptown New Orleans, flooding streets and triggering a weekend boil water advisory.
Underground construction activities grow in Central America, Caribbean
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.
19th century underground water reservoir found during construction in Mass. town
Construction crews in Marblehead, Mass., were surprised to discover an intact underground fire cistern dating back to around 1885, the Marblehead Current reported. The discovery was made as excavation work was underway to transform a local school playground into a community park.
Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
Pasadena, Calif., may need 500 more years to complete its underground utility project, citing cost, complexity, and coordination delays.
Body retrieved day after fatal trench collapse at Bakersfield, Calif., job site
A construction worker died after falling into a 20-foot trench at a site in west Bakersfield, Calif. Rescue teams recovered the body overnight, and an investigation is ongoing.
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.
UI Awards 2025: Top projects, technologies honored during Underground Infrastructure Conference
UI Awards 2025 recognized leading underground infrastructure achievements, including major sewer, fiber, water and rehabilitation projects, at the annual awards dinner during the Underground Infrastructure Conference.
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.
Rosemead, Calif., utility to bury power lines in fire-hit Altadena, Malibu rebuild
Southern California Edison plans to underground over 150 circuit miles of power lines in Altadena and Malibu as part of a wildfire recovery effort, aiming to boost resilience and reduce future fire risks.
ProStar, Pix4D launch 3D mobile mapping tool for underground infrastructure
ProStar Holdings Inc. has partnered with 3D mapping firm Pix4D to integrate their technologies and deliver a real-time, mobile-friendly solution for visualizing underground infrastructure.
Repairs begin on struck ANR pipeline, but more work ahead for Michigan Gas Utilities
TC Energy is responding to a third-party line strike that damaged a section of its ANR Pipeline System near Fennville, Michigan, on April 9, causing a gas outage in the area.
- Inside Sempra’s 72-mile pipeline with 18 major trenchless crossings
- Trump vetoes bill to finish $1.3 billion Colorado water pipeline
- PHMSA warns of heat risks in aging plastic gas distribution pipelines following deadly Pennsylvania explosion
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- OSHA seeks $1.2 million fine after fatal trench collapse in Connecticut
- Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
- First tunnel boring machines complete testing for Hudson Tunnel Project
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Construction jobs stumble into 2026 after weak year
- NWPX grows water infrastructure portfolio with Colorado precast facility