2025 Canadian Trenchless Engineering Project Spotlight
As part of our ranking of Canadian trenchless engineering firms, we asked the firms that listed Canadian revenue to submit a spotlight project. You’ll find those spotlight projects listed below.
Only the firms that responded to the request are included in this review.
AECOM
Name of Project: Wilson Rd Feedermain Relocation
Where the Project Took Place: Oshawa, Ontario
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Detailed Design and Contract Administration
Date Project Completed: November 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: The MTO is in the process of replacing existing bridges along Highway 401 through Oshawa, to support future expansion of the highway as part of the provincial initiative to build the infrastructure needed to mitigate the risk of gridlock and its impact on Ontario’s economy. The bridge replacement at Wilson Road triggered the need to relocate existing feedermains in advance of the reconstruction of the existing bridge and roadway.
AECOM was engaged by the Region of Durham to assess alternate routes for the relocation of existing feedermains, select a preferred route, and complete the design and preparation of the tender documents for the project. Comprehensive staging and sequencing plans were prepared to ensure sufficient water supply is available during the planned relocations. 1,200 mm and 750 mm diameter feedermains were constructed under Highway 401 by means of a microtunneling operation that included send / receive shafts sized to facilitate the tunneling of parallel feedermains in a single shaft.
ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING
Name of Project: Terwillegar Sanitary Trunk Rehabilitation
Where the Project Took Place: Edmonton, Alberta
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Design Consultant
Date Project Completed: November 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: EPCOR’s regular trunk inspection program identified severe deterioration in the Terwillegar Sanitary Trunk located beneath Whitemud Drive. Associated Engineering was retained to support EPCOR with the design and general engineering for rehabilitating the 1,200 mm RCP /1,350 mm non-circular offset hand tunnel, as well as a drop pipe located midway along the alignment. Insituform was contracted to install a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liner throughout the tunnel and apply a geopolymer spray-on liner to a short section of the 1,200 mm pipe.
To facilitate the CIPP installation, bypass pumping for the trunk and associated connections was routed across Whitemud Drive using a scaffolding bridge. A primary working shaft was excavated to provide access to the tunnel for construction activities.
BLACK & VEATCH
Name of Project: Black Creek Sanitary Trunk Sewer Relief System – Phase One Works
Where the Project Took Place: Toronto, Ontario
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Prime Design Consultant
Date Project Completed: In Design; Anticipated Construction NTP in 2026
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: The project involves the design and construction of three major sewer components: the 12.9 km, 3.0 m diameter Keele Trunk Relief Sewer to be installed by tunnel boring machine (TBM), the 3.9 km, 1.8 m diameter Jane Relief Trunk Sewer to be installed by microtunnel boring machine (MTBM), and the 0.6 km, 1.8 m diameter Rockcliffe CSO Storage Trunk Sewer also to be installed by MTBM.
The sewers will be excavated through both hard rock and soft ground. Using diversion chambers and drop structures, these sewers will collect flows from the existing BCSTS, CSOs, and local sewers, ultimately directing them into the existing Humber STS in order to minimize basement flooding, surcharging, and combined sewer overflows while addressing future population and employment growth.
BLUEFOX ENGINEERING
Name of Project: Gilbert Trunk Sewer Replacement
Where the Project Took Place: Richmond, British Columbia
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Trenchless engineering, design and construction inspection.
Date Project Completed: November 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: Metro Vancouver’s Gilbert Road trunk sewer transports the majority of Richmond’s sanitary sewage to the Lulu Island Treatment Plant. The existing sewer is operating at full capacity. Metro Vancouver has undertaken a major project to upgrade the regional sewer line by constructing a second sewer line next to the existing pipe beneath Gilbert Road. Once complete the project will facilitate future maintenance, provide increased conveyance capacity to minimize backups and accommodate future growth in Richmond.
As part of this system upgrade, BlueFox Engineering was retained to provide trenchless engineering design and construction inspection support. The project is being executed in phases to minimize disruption to the public. This project is notable as it clearly demonstrates trenchless technology is an ideal solution for installing and rehabilitating underground infrastructure in congested cities because it minimizes surface disruption, traffic impact, and environmental impact compared to traditional open-cut methods.
CCI
Name of Project: Cedar LNG Pipeline – Anderson Creek HDD
Where the Project Took Place: Kitimat, British Columbia
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Geotechnical Investigation, Trenchless Design, Trenchless Construction Inspection
Date Project Completed: September 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: As part of the Cedar LNG project, an NPS24 pipeline from outside the LNG Canada site to the Cedar LNG marine terminal was required. The pipeline needed to cross steep mountainous terrain that included Anderson Creek, which is located in the bottom of a steep valley.
The originally proposed crossing method for Anderson Creek was to be an aerial crossing, however, geotechnical challenges increased long term risks associated with the maintenance of that crossing. As an alternative, an HDD design was proposed. The final HDD design was able to fit inside the existing construction footprint and provide a solution to safely construct the pipeline beneath Anderson Creek.
GAME TRENCHLESS CONSULTANTS
Name of Project: Large Diameter Watermain Condition Assessment
Where the Project Took Place: Toronto, Ontario
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Leak Detection, CCTV Inspection, Pipe Wall thickness Measurements, Life Expectancy, Analysis of Field Data and Recommended Interventions for the future (CCTV, Trenchless Rehabilitation, etc.)
Date Project Completed: Project started in July 2023. Scheduled to be completed in December 2027
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: The project consists of providing a comprehensive condition assessment for approximately nine different mains for 8 km of large diameter watermains ranging from 600 mm to 2,100 mm and with the following materials: Cast iron, PCCP, and concrete encased steel pipe. Some of these pipes date back to the early 1900s, earliest being 1905. The tasks include a historical review of each of the pipe materials, pipe wall measurements, leak detection, bore hole analysis and CCTV inspection. Once the data is collected and reviewed, a series of recommended action items will be put forward. This will allow the City of Toronto to manage their network.
As of December 2025, approximately 6km (3.7mi) of CCTV inspection, approximately 9km (5.6mi) of leak detection, approximately 5km (3.11mi) of pipe wall thickness measurements.
JACOBS
Name of Project: Various
Where the Project Took Place: Across Canada
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Design consultant in a traditional design bid build.
Date Project Completed: 2025 and on going
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: Jacobs has established a reputation for delivering innovative trenchless solutions for municipal clients nationwide, tackling some of the most challenging underground infrastructure projects. Our expertise spans complex microtunneling, auger boring, and pipe jacking installations, ensuring minimal surface disruption and maximum efficiency.
Notably, the Nose Creek project featured Canada’s longest microtunnel drive, executed by Ward & Burke, setting a benchmark for technical achievement. The Fairbanks Silverthorn project earned the prestigious TAC Innovation of the Year Award 2025, underscoring our commitment to pioneering methods and sustainable practices. Additionally, the East-West Brampton Sanitary Trunk Sewer project exemplifies our ability to manage large-scale, high-risk undertakings with precision and reliability. Through these and many other projects, Jacobs continues to lead the industry in trenchless technology, delivering resilient infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of communities across Canada.
J.D. HAIR & ASSOCIATES
Name of Project: Pembina Pipeline Corporation – Cedar LNG Pipeline Project – Anderson Creek HDD Crossing
Where the Project Took Place: Kitimat, British Columbia
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Preconstruction submittals (drawings, execution plans, rig anchor calculations and pipe installation stress calculations); review daily pilot hole survey data; prepare as-built drawing and tabulation
Date Project Completed: August 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: The Cedar LNG Pipeline Project consists of approximately 7.8 km of NPS 24 steel pipe. It was completed to safely transport natural gas from the north end of the LNG Canada facility in southwest Kitimat, British Columbia, to the proposed floating Cedar LNG terminal to the southwest.
The project featured a 978-m horizontal directional drill (HDD) crossing beneath Anderson Creek, which was successfully installed through highly fractured and abrasive diorite and andesite bedrock.
R.V. ANDERSON ASSOCIATES LIMITED
Name of Project: Hydro One Power Downtown Tunnel
Where the Project Took Place: Toronto, Ontario
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Engineering Design and Construction Management
Date Project Completed: Tunnel and Shaft Construction completed 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: For over 110 years in Ontario, Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) has been the primary electricity transmission provider. In Toronto, one of Hydro One’s existing direct buried cable lines was nearing the end of its service life and in need of replacement. R.V. Anderson was retained to design and oversee the construction of the new 2.4km two-pass tunnel. It was bored Georgian Bay Shale bedrock below the busy streets of the downtown core. This tunnel would house new oil-free cross-linked polyethylene cables as well as monitoring and communications systems.
Construction lasted three years and included the entry and exit shafts, the 3.6 m diameter tunnel, as well as two breakout chambers along its alignment to allow for future connections for the city’s increasing needs. The project team’s efforts contributed to improved power reliability in Canada’s largest city.
STANTEC
Name of Project: Dufferin Sanitary Trunk Sewer System Improvements Project
Where the Project Took Place: Toronto, Ontario
Your Company’s Role in the Project: Stantec was the leading consultant for all stages of the project from
environmental assessment and concept design, through preliminary and detailed design to construction
administration.
Date Project Completed: May 2025
Why This Project Is Important/Notable: The City of Toronto’s Dufferin Sanitary Trunk Sewer System Improvements project is a landmark effort to strengthen the city’s wastewater infrastructure and protect against climate-driven flooding. Following a big storm in July 2013—which brought more than 100 mm of rainfall and caused around $1 billion in infrastructure damage—Stantec guided the project from environmental assessment through construction (2016–2025), delivering innovative solutions to restore this critical system. Using multiple trenchless methods—microtunneling, auger bore, CIPP lining, and manhole rehabilitation—the team realigned and rehabilitated key sewer segments while minimizing surface disruption and preserving sensitive habitats.
These improvements have enhanced system capacity, reliability, and sustainability, reducing infiltration
and flood risk for downstream communities. The project exemplifies engineering ingenuity and
collaboration and will help keep Toronto’s sanitary network resilient for decades to come.
