Underground Infrastructure
Dublin, Ohio, advances South High Street utility burial project
Dublin, Ohio, is moving ahead with Phase 2 of its South High Street utility burial project, shifting overhead power and telecom lines underground. Work is scheduled to finish in spring 2026.
AECOM launches Singapore AI center for underground infrastructure planning
Global infrastructure firm AECOM has launched its AI Innovation Centre in Singapore, backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). The initiative aims to support Singapore’s vision for sustainable urban development by optimizing underground spaces.
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.
Promoting research, development and training in underground infrastructure construction, renewal technologies
The Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE) at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) has been actively involved in advancing technologies such as trenchless rehabilitation methods, underground infrastructure renewal and supporting government and industry in innovation within this field.
UK's Halma expands into trenchless drilling with Brownline acquisition
Halma plc, a UK-based HSE company with global reach, has acquired Brownline, a Netherlands-based provider of smart, trenchless underground drilling technology. The $175 million deal represents a strategic expansion into infrastructure resilience and energy transition technologies for Halma’s Environmental & Analysis sector.
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.
MTA awards $1.97 billion tunnel-boring contract for subway expansion
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has awarded a $1.97 billion tunnel-boring contract for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway project. Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture between Halmar International and FCC Construction, will conduct tunnel boring between 35 and 120 feet below Second Avenue using 750-ton machines equipped with 22-foot drill heads.
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.
Florida city set to finish first phase of $18 million underground power line project
Gulf Breeze, Fla., is nearing completion of phase one in its $18 million project to move utility lines underground, a major step toward boosting storm resilience and reducing prolonged outages.
Colorado approves $1.9 billion wildfire mitigation plan with undergrounding, grid hardening
Colorado regulators approved Xcel Energy’s $1.9 billion wildfire mitigation plan, which includes undergrounding power lines, replacing aging infrastructure, and expanding fire risk monitoring to protect communities.
NYC subway flooding ignites concerns over stormwater infrastructure
Officials in New York are re-examining the city's infrastructure and stormwater systems following flash flooding last week that inundated parts of the city's underground subway system.
Exodigo raises $96 million to expand AI underground mapping for U.S., global projects
Underground mapping innovator Exodigo has secured $96 million in funding, doubling its valuation based on global demand from utility, transportation and infrastructure leaders. Exodigo's technology focuses on mapping buried pipes, wires and utility assets, to make designing and constructing new buildings, highways, subways, and other massive infrastructure projects safer and avoid unnecessary excavation.
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.
Japan plans to bury 13,500 miles of power lines by 2030 to protect disaster routes
Japan’s infrastructure ministry plans to bury thousands of miles of power lines by 2030 to protect disaster routes and modernize city landscapes.
135 miles of natural gas infrastructure to be upgraded throughout Michigan
Consumers Energy is updating its statewide natural gas system with 135 miles of major construction projects in 15 Michigan communities this summer, the company announced on Monday. The ongoing construction work will replace existing cast iron and steel pipelines, some of which are more than a century old.
SCE to bury 63 miles of new power lines in fire-damaged Altadena, Calif.
Southern California Edison will install 63 miles of underground electrical lines in Altadena, starting in 2025. The project targets fire-damaged areas and supports future clean energy needs.
Opus Water launches to drive growth in water, wastewater infrastructure sector
Opus Water is a growing water infrastructure equipment platform, dedicated to ensuring safe and efficient water management across a wide range of applications – from municipal systems to complex industrial processes. Backed by XPV Water Partners, Opus Water enters the market with a suite of offerings including pipe plugs, strainers, and heat exchangers.
Underground power line pilot cuts storm outages to zero in Michigan counties
Consumers Energy reports early success from its 9-mile underground power line pilot, with data showing zero storm-related outages in pilot areas so far in 2025—outperforming surrounding overhead systems.
Leica unveils DS4000 system for deeper underground utility detection
Leica Geosystems has launched the DS4000, a utility detection system capable of identifying underground assets up to 60% deeper than traditional methods, with improved clarity for both shallow and deep utilities.
Collapse threat prompts DC Water to reinforce 140-year-old tunnel with shotcrete, geopolymer
DC Water has completed emergency repairs on a 140-year-old sewer tunnel beneath 22nd Street NW after a large soil void threatened collapse. Crews reinforced the structure using shotcrete and geopolymer lining to stabilize over 1,200 feet of aging pipe.
Dominion Energy cuts storm outages in Virginia with 2,500 miles of buried lines
Dominion Energy has buried more than 2,500 miles of outage-prone power lines in Virginia, cutting average storm-related outage times from 11 hours to just 2 minutes in affected areas.
Arizona groundwater talks stall, leaving rural infrastructure without oversight
A legislative stalemate in Arizona has halted efforts to regulate groundwater, leaving vast underground water supplies in rural areas without oversight; critical infrastructure remains vulnerable amid growing concerns over depletion and drought.
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.
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.
Centuri awarded nearly $400 million for U.S. gas infrastructure work
Centuri, a leading North American utility infrastructure services company, has announced nearly $400 million in customer awards for its U.S. gas business segment. The work will include the replacement of existing aged natural gas infrastructure and system betterment.
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.
- 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
- Faulconer Construction begins rock blasting for water pipeline project in Charlottesville, Va.
- Three Houston workers killed by hydrogen sulfide leak during sewer repair
- New products: Latest industry developments
- 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
- Three Houston workers killed by hydrogen sulfide leak during sewer repair