Undergrounding
Jasper, Ind., to begin Phase II of downtown revitalization
The city of Jasper, Indiana, is set to begin Phase II of its Downtown Revitalization Project, which includes critical upgrades to the underground infrastructure.
Siksika Nation selects Cross Cut Directional Boring for fiber optic rollout
Cross Cut Directional Boring LTD has been selected as the contractor for the project, which includes building a backbone network and installing residential service cables. Vacuum excavator trucks will be used to locate existing underground utilities.
PG&E resumes underground power line work in California’s Plumas County
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has resumed its efforts to bury power lines in Plumas County, California, after work was paused due to the Park Fire.
Utah’s Park City Council greenlights $7 million project to bury power lines in Bonanza Park
Park City is advancing its long-awaited initiative to bury power lines in the Bonanza Park area, paving the way for future development in the district.
International report: Germany accelerates plans for energy development
Germany plans to actively accelerate the development and modernization of its underground energy infrastructure in the near future.
GDC awards first tunnel boring contract for NY-NJ project for $465 million
The Palisades Tunnel Project will construct the first mile of 5,100-foot twin tunnels on the New Jersey side, including boring, lining with waterproof concrete, and creating the Hudson County Shaft for Tunnel Boring Machine removal.
Leica introduces DD300 CONNECT for improved underground utility detection
By detecting the position of underground utility networks, the DD300 CONNECT aims to improve worker safety and prevent damage to underground infrastructures.
Underground explosion triggers fire in Virginia's Crystal City neighborhood
An underground utility fire occurred in Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington, Va., on July 23. The fire broke out on the 2400 block of Crystal Drive, following reports of an explosion heard and felt in the area.
GDC secures $16 billion for Hudson Tunnel project, set to create 95,000 jobs
The Gateway Development Commission has finalized the funding needed for the Hudson Tunnel Project, securing a total of $16 billion. The HTP, a major underground infrastructure project, will replace and expand the aging rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River.
Lynchburg, Va., begins Phase IV of downtown renewal, tackling aging utilities
The Downtown Renewal Construction Project, which began in 2016, is a multimillion-dollar investment aimed at upgrading Lynchburg's aging underground utility infrastructure and enhancing streetscapes.
Wisconsin utility to improve storm-related outages with $106 million undergrounding investment
We Energies, the state’s largest electrical utility, is proposing a $106 million investment over the next two years to bury overhead power lines and upgrade equipment to improve outage isolation and increase system automation. Currently, 45% of its lines are underground.
Chesapeake Utilities expands Florida’s underground gas transmission with $46 million investment
The new facilities will consist of approximately 14 miles of new transmission infrastructure, a district regulator station, a tie-in with FCG's distribution system and an interconnect with existing PPC facilities.
OSHA cites contractor for fatal trench collapse in New Canaan, Conn.
A contractor from Easton could have prevented the death of an employee, who was repairing an underground water line, in a trench collapse at a New Canaan work site in December 2023, according to an investigation by OSHA.
Virginia town set to begin $104 million CSO tunnel project
The Blackwater CSO Tunnel will be a nearly mile-long, 12-foot-diameter underground tunnel located 70 to 120 feet beneath Blackwater Creek. It is designed to collect and store up to 4.7 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater during heavy rains, preventing wastewater from overflowing into local waterways.
La Grange, Ill., secures $2 million for stormwater detention project
The proposed $8.9 million project includes the construction of 10-acre feet of underground stormwater detention. La Grange Village is actively pursuing additional funding sources to complete the financing for this essential infrastructure project.
Miller Lane water main installation project underway in Cheyenne, Wyo.
This project is part of the BOPU’s initiative to enhance water service reliability by renewing aging infrastructure. The work will be carried out by Aztec Construction Company.
Xcel Energy updates $1.9 billion wildfire mitigation plan with undergrounding measures
Xcel Energy is making physical investments to reduce the risk of utility-caused wildfires. These measures include targeted undergrounding of power lines, line rebuilds, and non-expulsion upgrades in Tier 2 and Tier 3 risk areas.
Rocky Mountain Power to underground 35 miles of power lines to prevent wildfires
In addition to burying power lines underground, RMP plans to apply protective coatings to some lines to prevent sparks and has installed 480 weather stations for continuous monitoring and risk modeling.
Bluebonnet Fiber, USDA partner to expand underground broadband infrastructure in South Texas
Bluebonnet Fiber has announced a new partnership with USDA to complete pre-construction efforts for the installation of underground fiber optic cables to expand broadband access in Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, La Salle, and Zavala counties.
Kinetic to bury over five miles of fiber optic infrastructure following devastating Iowa tornado
This investment will add to the already existing 10,600 ft (about 2 miles) of Kinetic fiber optic cable in the area. Kinetic's Iowa-based fiber network, about 12,400 miles, is 16 times larger than the total length of Iowa's 782 miles of federal interstates.
Rehab Technology selection guide
This comprehensive listing provides an invaluable resource in researching availability and specifications of key rehabilitation equipment/materials for the underground infrastructure industry.
Drilling under the LSU campus
A groundbreaking project at LSU utilizes horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology to install two 1,600-foot HDPE pipes, modernizing the campus's chilled water supply and return systems while minimizing surface disruption.
Editor’s log: Let’s stay real
You don’t see much original, in-depth journalism these days. That goes for business-to-business journalism in the underground infrastructure markets, but also for virtually every type of media across business and consumer markets.
Dominion Energy Virginia buries 2,000 miles of power lines underground ahead of hurricane season
Launched in 2014 to reduce storm-related power outages and shorten restoration times, the program focuses on burying power lines in the most outage-prone areas. The company plans to bury several thousand additional miles of overhead lines as the program continues in the coming years.
Consumers Energy burying power lines near Standish, Mich.
Consumers Energy crews have begun the second week of a project to bury two miles of power lines near Standish, aiming to improve the region’s electric grid by protecting lines from falling trees and severe weather.
Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
Given Houston's vulnerability to hurricanes, relocating power lines underground could theoretically reduce the risk of prolonged outages. However, this concept faces significant obstacles.
Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
Berkeley city officials are pressing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to include their city in a plan to underground 10,000 miles of power lines in regions with the highest fire danger, The Berkeley Scanner reported.
Unprecedented storms raise questions about undergrounding Houston’s power lines
Currently, Houston has extensive underground distribution and transmission lines, but the high costs and challenges associated with burying more lines, particularly in developed areas and flood-prone regions, are significant obstacles.
Google to invest $1 billion in Hawaiʻi's subsea internet infrastructure with new fiber-optic cables
Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative, and Benji Robinson, Asia Pacific director for Google, unveiled plans for the construction of a $1 billion project to create new fiber-optic internet subsea cables.
HyperFiber launches fiber-optic internet service in Port Charlotte, Fla.
HyperFiber, an independent fiber internet provider, has launched its gigabit-speed services in Port Charlotte, Florida, offering reliable connectivity to over 31,000 homes in the area.
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- Emergency rehabilitation brings back Baltimore’s Back River outfall interceptor
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Fatal Shawnee trench collapse linked to Oklahoma contractor’s repeated safety violations, OSHA reports
- OSHA cites contractor for fatal trench collapse in New Canaan, Conn.
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Construction worker dies after being found unconscious in trench box
- Tennessee pipeline gets initial FERC approval despite environmental concerns
- Florence, S.C., to fund $537 million sewer, water upgrade with bonds and 5% rate hike