2025 North American Microtunneling Job Log

Our 2025 North American Microtunneling Job Log is presented below. Jim Rush, editorial consultant to Trenchless Technology and publisher of TBM: Tunnel Business Magazine compiles the data, which lists the most notable microtunneling projects under way or recently completed across North America. To have your project included in future Microtunneling Job Logs, contact Jim Rush at jrush@benjaminmedia.com.

UNITED STATES

CALIFORNIA

Elk Grove

Harvest Water – Franklin/Eschinger Distribution Pipeline

Vadnais Microtunneling

This $3.26 million project for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District consisted of two separate microtunnel drives using 78-in. OD Trinity Tri- Loc Spiral Welded Steel Casing and installing 60-in. WSP at the Railroad Crossing and 66-in. WSP at the Stone Lake Creek Crossing. The microtunnel drive lengths were181 and 344 lf.

The microtunneling was performed within Floodplain Deposits consisting of very stiff to hard sandy silt to silt, trace fine sand, and interbedded layers of clayey fine sand and lean clay to sandy lean clay. Sheet pile shoring was utilized and sumping and perimeter dewatering were performed where required.

Vadnais Microtunneling mobilized to the project in late-August 2024 and completed all microtunnel work by mid-December 2024.

The prime contractor was Steve P. Rados Inc. Stantec was the engineer. Crews used an MTS 1970 MTBM at 80-in. OD to complete the microtunnels.

La Mesa

Montezuma Mid-City Pipeline Phase 2

JW Fowler Co.

The Montezuma Mid-City Pipeline Phase 2 for the City of San Diego is a $4.4 million project comprising a single drive of 716 lf of 101.5-in. steel casing pipe through stadium conglomerate at approximately 38 ft below grade with approximately 10 to 25 ft of groundwater.

The microtunnel drive crosses under Interstate 8 with a launch pit on the south side of I-8 in a restaurant parking lot and the receiving pit on the north side of I-8 within a public right of way. The scope of work also includes the installation of new 66-in. diameter CML&TC steel water transmission main.
Project is currently awaiting final permits before construction can begin.

WA Rasic is the primary contractor with Fowler serving as the microtunneling sub. Psomas is the engineer. Crews will use a Herrenknecht AVND2000AB.

Los Angeles

City Trunk Line North Unit 2

Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc.

Frontier Kemper has been contracted to build the City Trunk Line North Unit 2 project for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). LADWP is the project designer. The project consists of installing 1,230 lf of 82-in. steel casing to house 54-in. welded steel waterline. The project involves three drives: 526 ft, 380 ft and 324 ft. Frontier Kemper plans to use an Akkerman SL82P MTBM. Anticipated job start is 3rd Quarter 2025. Anticipated completion is 2nd Quarter 2026.

Los Angeles

Roscoe Trunk Line Replacement Unit 2

Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc.

Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc. has been contracted by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to build the Roscoe Trunk Like Replacement Unit 2 project. The project involves installation of 4,142 lf 82-in. steel casing for a welded steel waterline. There are four drives: 1,145 lf, 1,035 lf, 1,027 lf, and 935 lf. LADWP is the engineer. Crews will be using an Akkerman SL82P MTBM. Anticipated job start is 1st Quarter 2026. Anticipated completion is 2nd Quarter 2027.

Morgan Hill

Anderson Dam Tunnel Project

Vadnais Microtunneling

The project consists of a single microtunneling drive with the installation of 372 lf of 100-in. outside diameter steel casing pipe. The MTBM was be launched from within a Chamber inside the previously excavated 24-ft Horseshoe rock tunnel built with steel ribs and reinforced shotcrete lining initial support.

This 1,600-lf tunnel was built by Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring under separate contract. The microtunnel drive consisted of both hard rock and soft ground as well as naturally occurring asbestos.

The Anderson Dam Tunnel project MBTM Lake Tap was launched from inside of a 24-ft Horseshoe tunnel mined under the Northern Abutment of Anderson Dam. A custom-designed and built reaction frame and portal launch seal were used to tunnel from the within the Chamber to a Lake Tap Landing Pad deep below the surface of the Anderson Reservoir.

Vadnais Microtunneling mobilized to the project in May 2024 and completed all work on September 30, 2024. The owner was the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Flatiron West was the prime contractor. AECOM was the engineer. Vadnais used an MTS 2350 MTBM at 102 in. OD. The bid price of microtunneling was $8.8 million.

Newport Beach

Bay Bridge Pump Station Replacement

Vadnais Microtunneling

This $9.8 million project for the Orange County Sanitation District includes two main elements: the construction of a new pump station and the replacement of the existing force mains. The force mains replacement consists of a single 1,315 lf microtunnel drive using 72-in. ID / 87.5-in. OD TPG Reinforced Concrete Pipe casing and installing dual 24-in. HDPE approximately 40-ft below sea level beneath the Newport Bay Channel. The alignment crosses areas both on land at relatively deep depths and under the channel at relatively shallow depths resulting in groundwater chemistry that will include fresh to brackish water transitioning to saltwater characteristics.

The tunnel crosses under the Pacific Coast Highway and the Newport Bay Channel with three horizontal curves in the alignment to avoid several existing timber piles. Timber piles are still expected to be encountered as the alignment cannot avoid all of them. Work areas are extremely limited with substantial environmental and traffic concerns in a very affluent neighborhood.

Shoring Work is scheduled to start in Summer/Fall 2026 with microtunneling works to begin in January 2026 with the force main crossing completed around mid-June 2026.

J.F. Shea Construction is the prime contractor. AECOM is the engineer. Vadnais will use an MTS 1970 MTBM at 88-in. OD.

Palm Springs

Indian Canyon Drive Sewer (01-11B)

Vadnais Microtunneling

This project consists of supplying, installing and contact grouting 1,200 lf of 36-in. OD x .50-in. wall Tri-Loc Interlocking Steel Casing (in 20-ft lengths) and installing 10-in. PVC sewer pipe complete with annular cellular grout between the casing and the 10-in. sewer carrier pipe. The project will consist of two in-line drives of 400 lf and 800 lf, with the second drive an IJS. The microtunnel drives will be completed primarily in sandy soil with some gravel above the groundwater table.

Vadnais Microtunneling is scheduled to mobilize to the project in mid-August 2025 and it is scheduled to be complete in November 2025. Microtunneling is valued at $2.6 million. The owner is the City of Palm Springs. GRBCON Inc. is the prime contractor. Dokken Engineering is the engineer. Crews will use an Iseki TCC800 MTBM (38.5-in. OD).

Perris

Perris Valley Pipeline Interstate 215 Crossing

JW Fowler Co.

The microtunnel portion of this $59.5 million project for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California included approximately 3,000 ft of 120-in. Permalok steel casing using a Herrenknecht AVN 2000 D. The longest drive was 1,334 ft. The soil conditions were mixed face with dense to very dense granular soils and blow counts of 16 to 50+.

This project was the largest diameter microtunnel JW Fowler had ever installed. The MTBM was upsized with a skin kit to 123.5-in. cutting diameter. The project was completed in spring 2025.

San Jose

Charcot Area Storm Drain Improvements

Vadnais Microtunneling

This project consisted of a single microtunnel drives using 54-in. inside diameter Hobas FRP Jacking Pipe. The tunnel length is 220 lf beneath active VTA tracks along North First Street. Microtunneling was installed in generally fine-grained soils including medium stiff to very stiff lean clay, fat clay, sandy clay, and clayey silt, below the groundwater table.

Vadnais Microtunneling mobilized to the project on February 3, 2025 and completed all microtunnel work by mid-March 2025. The City of San Jose was the owner. JMB Construction was the prime contractor. BKF was the engineer. Vadnais used an MTS 1500 MTBM (59.5-in. OD). Microtunneling was valued at approximately $800,000.

COLORADO

Aurora

First Creek Interceptor

BTrenchless

The First Creek Interceptor (FCI) system is designed to offer a gravity- driven route for wastewater to reach the Metro Water Recovery’s Northern Treatment Plant, eliminating the need for four lift stations and ensuring low-maintenance infrastructure.

The final segments of this gravity system, FCI Segments 1B, 1C, and 1D, encompass approximately 21,300 lf of 42-in., 2,000 lf of 12-in., and 160 lf of 36-in. diameter gravity interceptors. The depths of the interceptors vary from 12 to 40 ft and cross several municipal boundaries. The project included six trenchless crossings under creeks, sensitive areas, arterial streets, and a golf course.

Multiple tunneling techniques were approved for bidding, with the following methods being selected for each crossing:

• Blue Grama Draw: Guided auger bore, 54 in. casing, 140 lf
• E 56th Ave: Guided pipe ram, 54-in. casing, 286 lf
• Dunkirk Street: Guided pipe ram, 54-in. casing, 262 lf
• Green Valley Ranch Golf Course: MTBM, 60-in. casing, 1,284 lf
• Green Valley Ranch Blvd: Guided pipe ram, 60-in. casing, 233 lf
• Piccadilly Street: MTBM, 54-in. casing, 335 lf

During the construction phase, several newly installed utilities were discovered. In two areas, the presence of these utilities posed a challenge to open-cut crossings, necessitating their relocation. The required relocations threatened to disrupt the construction timeline significantly.

However, through collaborative brainstorming, the contractor proposed a value-engineered solution to hand tunnel the problematic crossings:

• E 64th Ave: Hand tunnel, direct jack 42-in. Hobas, 80 lf
• High Point Ave: Hand tunnel, direct jack 42-in. Hobas, 100 lf

The owner was the City of Aurora. HDR and GEI provided engineering services. The value of the trenchless project was $120 million. The project was completed in June 2024.

FLORIDA

Cutler Bay

Cutler Flow Way Phase 2

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw Construction Corp. was contracted to construct this job for South Florida Management District, situated on an ecologically sensitive worksite. The project consists of twin tunnels, spanning a total of 580 lf, under a Miami Dade County canal with minimal cover. Both tunnels were to be mined out of a single 37-ft x 32-ft steel sheeted launch shaft utilizing 63-in. FRP Jacking Pipe behind a Herrenknecht AVN 1200 MTBM. Ground conditions are expected to be sand and limestone, all under the water table. The tunnels were scheduled to be completed in February 2025.

Project members include South Florida Management District (Owner), North Star (Design Engineers), Central Civil Construction (General Contractor) and Bradshaw Construction Corporation working as the tunneling subcontractor.

IDAHO

Lewiston

Site C Intake Reconstruction – Phase 1

Vadnais Microtunneling

This $2.3 million project for the City of Lewiston consists of designing, installing and excavating the 25-ft Inside Diameter Secant Pile Wet Well (Launch) Shaft and supply, install and contact grout approximately 115 lf of 42-in. OD x 0.75-in. Tri-Loc Interlocking Steel Casing (in 10-ft lengths) into the Clearwater River.

The microtunnel drive will be completed in variable ground conditions. Volcanic flow breccia is present consisting of very dense clayey sand and gravel, with larger sand and gravel clasts supported in a high plasticity silt matrix. Cobbles and intact basalt bedrock are anticipated. The Unconfined Compressive Strength of basalt ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 psi.

The microtunneling work consists of the construction of a single, new intake tunnel from the secant pile shaft into the Clearwater River. The MTBM will be driven into the Clearwater River and retrieved “in the wet.”

Vadnais Microtunneling began mobilizing to the project on April 16, 2025, has completed all secant pile shaft work and is scheduled to be complete with the River Tap scope of work in early-August 2025. Project was 80% complete through June 2025.

The prime contractor is Halme Construction. The engineer is McMillen. Crews are using an Iseki TCS900 MTBM (43.5-in. OD).

NEBRASKA

Omaha

Copper Creek Sewer Interceptor

Super Excavators Inc.

This $5.4 million project consists of a sewer relocate due to the deterioration of the existing pipe. Construction comprised of a total of three tunnels, 19-in. apart, and 536-ft in length.

The three different size piped diameters were required, 66-, 48- and 42-in. FRP. Varying pipe sizes were needed due to the hydraulics designed for the siphon. Super Excavators tunneled under a big levee that catches all the water from the north and eventually empties into the Missouri River.

The owner was City of Omaha Public Works. The general contractor was Hawkins Construction Co. withSuper Excavators, Inc. serving at the microtunneling subcontractor.

Alfred Benesch & Co. was the engineer. Crews used an Akkerman SL-36C, SL-51C and SL-60C for microtunneling. The job was completed between January 2024 and July 2024.

NEVADA

Las Vegas

Garnet Valley Wastewater Project

Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc.

The Garnet Valley Wastewater Project for the Southern Nevada Water District involves the installation of 3,607 lf of 60-in. steel casing to house 21- and 36-in. carrier pipe. There are six drives: 965 lf, 845 lf, 830 lf, 617 lf, 175 lf, and 175 lf. GCW Engineers is the designer. Crews ill use an Akkerman SL60C MTBM. Anticipated job start is 3rd Quarter 2025. Anticipated completion is 3rd Quarter 2026.

NEW JERSEY

West Windsor

Duck Pond Run Interceptor – Phase 2

JRCRUZ Corp.

JRCRUZ and Montana Construction completed this $1.135 million project for the Township of West Windsor. The project involved installation of 244 fl of 50.5-in. OD casing to house 24-in. DIP carrier pipe at a depth of approximately 25 ft. JRCRUZ used a Herrenknecht AVN1000 to install the Permalok casing through poor soil with clay abd boulders/granites. Crews installed the pipe underneath high-speed Amtrak tracks while in full service. WSP and T&M Associates were the engineers. The projects was completed between September 2024 and November 2024.

NEW YORK

Bay Park

Bay Park Conveyance Project

Western Bays Constructors

The Bay Park Conveyance Project is a partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Nassau County Department of Public Works to improve water quality and spur ecological recovery in Long Island’s Western Bays.

The Bay Park Conveyance Project comprises 3.6 miles of new forcemain built by microtunneling, as well as the slipline rehabilitation of 7.2 miles of existing 100-year-old forcemain under Sunrise Highway.
Related work includes the construction of 14 microtunneling shafts using secant piles, soil mixing and jet grouting, and a new 75-mgd effluent diversion pump station. The entire 11-mile pipeline is 20 to 60 ft deep.

The microtunneling portion consisted of the Bay Park alignment and the Cedar Creek alignment. The Bay Park alignment consisted of seven drives, totaling 9,810 ft, and eight shafts. The Cedar Creek alignment consisted of five drives, totaling 8,210 ft, and six shafts. The longest drive on the Bay Park alignment was 2,285 ft, which included a 4,800-ft radius curve. The longest drive on the Cedar Creek alignment was 1,936 ft. Nine of the 12 drives exceeded 1,300 ft in length, leading to the decision to use Intermediate Jacking Stations (IJSs). The last tunneling drive was finished in November 2023. As of March 2025, the entire $439 million project was 89 percent complete.

AECOM, WSP, Hazen & Sawyer and Arcadis provided engineering services. Western Bays Constructors comprised John P. Picone Inc., Northeast Remsco Inc., Delve Underground, and Greeley and Hanson. Thompson Pipe Group was the pipe supplier.

New York City

East Side Coastal Resiliency Phase 1 – Micrtunneling

JRCRUZ Corp.

JRCRUZ and IPC Resiliency Partners completed the microtunneling for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Phase 1 project for the New York City Department of Design & Construction. The $5 million microtunneling portion of the project involved the installed of 116 lf of 66-in. OD Permalok casing to house 42-in. DIP carrier pipe at a depth of approximately 20 ft. The tunnel was installed through poor soil with debris including nails, lumber and historical fill. It also traveled underneath FDR Drive while in full service.

Crews used a Herrenknecht AVN1200. AKRF-KSE JV/Hazen and Sawyer provided engineering services. The job was completed between July 2024 and January 2025.

OKLAHOMA

Edmond

Arcadia Lake Water Treatment Plant (ALWTP) Intake and Low Lift Pump Station INT-01 Project

Southland Contracting / Oscar Renda Contracting JV

This $66.4 million project for the Edmond Public Works Authority comprises three wet retrieval type tunnels, which will serve as the intakes for the new City water supply system:

• “Upper intake” is 150 ft long, 16 ft below lake normal pool elevation
• “Middle intake” is 250 ft long, 30 ft below lake normal pool elevation
• “Lower intake” is 450 ft long, 40 ft below lake normal pool elevation

The project includes construction of a single shaft, 54-ft ID, 80 ft deep, from which all three tunnels were launched. Shoring consists of secant piles, 80EA, 1-m diameter. MTBM entry seals were cast in 2-ft thick final concrete liner. Entry seals have 72-in. flanges, on which slide gates will be installed once tunneling is complete. Crews jacked 60-in. Permalok jacking pipe (3/4-in. wall) behind a Herrenknecht AVN 1200. The MTBM included an upskin kit with subsea recovery can and hard rock cutterhead. Ground conditions included sandstone, claystone and mudstone in undisturbed earth, and alluvial fill within the lakebed.
All three tunnels have been completed and slide gates installed. This represents the first Lake Tap Wet Retrieval in US using FRP Pipe.

Owner: City of Edmond Public Works Authority; Owners’ CM / Engineering Manager: Carollo Engineers; Engineer of Record: Schnabel Engineering; General Contractor: Oscar Renda Contracting; Tunnel Contractor: Southland Contracting, Inc. TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht, Southland Contracting.

OREGON

Eugene

College Hill Tank Construction

J.W. Fowler Co.

The microtunnel portion of this $4 million project includes a single 500-ft drive of a 72-in. steel casing pipe approximately 24 ft below grade. The soil conditions include primarily sandstone bedrock with some sections containing siltstone interbeds.

The microtunnel will be used to install water transmission lines in a residential neighborhood that will eliminate the need for open trench construction. Tunneling was expected to begin in July.

The owner is the Eugene Water & Electric Board. The prime contractor is Pacific Excavation with Fowler serving as the microtunneling sub. Jacobs is the engineer. Crews will use a Herrenknecht AVN 1500T.

Oregon City

Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility Outfall Project

Michels

This is a $58.4 million design-build project for Clackamas Water Environment Services to construct a new outfall into the Willamette River. The project used a Herrenknecht MTBM to install 2,400 ft of 90-in. pipe in a single drive with four curves. The tunnel was completed in November 2024 with the wet retrieval of the MTBM taking place in February 2025. Jacobs and AECOM provided engineering services. Thompson Pipe Group was the RCP pipe supplier.

Portland

Bull Run Filtration Facility

Bull Run Conveyance Partners

The Portland Water Bureau is building a new water filtration facility and pipelines that will be key components of a more resilient water system. The filtration facility and pipelines, originally planned for operation by Sept. 30, 2027, are currently on hold while permitting issues are being resolved.

The microtunnel portion includes plans for a single 550-ft drive of 80-in. concrete pipe. The soil conditions include firm to stiff clay and silt with medium to high stickiness. The pressure waterline will be installed via single pass C300 pipe, eliminating the need for the typical two pass method. The soil conditions include firm to stiff clay and silt with medium to high stickiness.

Crews will be using a Herrenknecht AVN1500T MTBM. The contracting team is Bull Run Conveyance Partners, a joint venture of MWH Constructors and JW Fowler Co., with Fowler serving as the microtunneling subcontractor. Jacobs is the engineer.

TENNESSEE

Clarksville

Raw Water Intake

Huxted Tunneling

To keep pace with growth in the area, the City of Clarksville is building a new water treatment plant and associated facilities, which includes a new intake in the Cumberland River.

The raw water intake scope includes constructing an approximately 80-ft wide by 50-ft long drilled and blast jacking shaft with a depth of 80 ft, which, after tunnel construction, will be used as a pump station. It also includes the construction of approximately 470 LF of 87.5-in. Permalok Steel Casing via a Herenknecht AVN 1800 MTBM, with an underwater retrieval of the machine from the Cumberland River utilizing barges and the installation of one 48-in. ductile iron pipe (DIP) raw water intake carrier pipe, one 10-in. CA-DIP air pipe, two 1.5-in. OX-SST chemical lines – all installed with casing spacers.

The new facility is expected to be operation in 2025-26. The trenchless scope was completed in 2023.

TEXAS

Austin

Austin Energy – 6th Street Chilled Water Transmission Line

HB Trenchless

HB Trenchless is using a Herrenknecht AVN1200TB with Extension Kit to install 72-in. OD steel pipes in one tunnel drive, 1,420-ft long and up to 40-ft deep but with relatively low cover at shaft locations. Soil is expected to be clay, gravel and sand. The site is in a congested work area in downtown Austin. The project is expected to be with a relatively long drive with shallow cover in some areas. Work is expected to begin in July 2025 and continue into 2027.

The owner is the City of Austin. HVJ Associates is the engineer. Primoris is the general contractor.

Austin

TXDOW IH35 Capex-Central LBL Relocation: Holly to 290W City of Austin

HB Trenchless

HB Trenchless will be using a Herrenknecht AVN1200TB, AVN800A and AVN800B, as well as auger boring equipment, to complete this project. The job includes 16 MTBM drives (five drives 38.3-in. steel casing, 1,602 lf; eight drives 42.9-in. steel casing, 1,430 lf; and three drives 63-in. steel casing, 942 lf); 10 auger bore drives (two drives 24-in. steel casing, 472 lf; eight drives 36-in. steel casing, 600 lf); and one hand-mine tunnel (48-in. steel casing, 47.5 lf). Tuere are a total of 44 shafts/pits, including trench box, liner plate, rig-and-lag, and rock bolt and mesh.

Soil is expected to be Austin chalk limestone, Pilot Knob tuff, clay, silt and sand. The job will take place in a congested work area in downtown Austin, so scheduling is critical. Work is expected to begin in July 2025 and continue to 2028. TXDOT is the owner. Pape-Dawson Engineers is the engineer. Balfour Beatty is the general contractor.

Houston

IH69

HB Trenchless

HB Trenchless will be using a Herrenknecht AVN2000AB with Extension Kit to install 115.5-in. OD concrete pipes totaling 3,420 ft with the longest tunnel drive at 1,820-ft long and up to 60-ft deep. Soil is expected to be clay, silt and sand. Shafts are a mixture of secant pile and liner plate. The project will take place in a congested work area in downtown Houston and close to a heavily trafficked highway. There will be twin drives in two of the locations. Work is expected to begin in July 2025. The owner is TXDOT. IDCUS is the engineer.

Houston

SWSP A1-A2

HB Trenchless

The Little York Tunnel consisted of a 5,905-ft in one drive to install 136-in. rib-and-lag with Herrenknecht EPB TBM, negotiating four curves. Soil conditions were predominantly clay with areas in layers of silt. The Fonwood Tunnel consists of an 824-ft drive to install 136-in. rib-and-lag, also with the Herrenknecht EPB. The Fonwood drive will be constructed mostly on a curve launching from a sheet pile shaft.

The Little York Tunnel was completed between September 2024 and April 2025 on a single shift basis. The Fonwood Tunnel is expected to start in July 2025. The owner is the West Harris County Water Authority. The engineer is AECOM.

Houston

SWSP A1-A2

HB Trenchless

HB Trenchless used a Herrenknecht AVN2000 with Extension Kit to install 120-in. OD. steel pipes. The job includes four tunnels up to 560-ft long and up to 60-ft deep crossing a bayou and rail crossings. Soil was predominantly clay on two drives and flowing sand/silt on the other two drives with relatively high-water pressure. The flowing sand and silt at 60 ft deep required special techniques for exit and entry of sheet piles shafts. The work took place from December 2024 through June 2025.

The owner was the West Harris County Water Authority. The engineer was AECOM.

Houston

Tidwell Timbers Wastewater Treatment Plant Abandonment and Flow Diversion to FWSD #23 Wastewater Treatment Plant

HB Trenchless

HB Trenchless used a Herrenknecht AVN800, AVN600 and Akkerman Guided Boring Machine to install 4,100 ft of 30-in. and 3,200 ft of 36-in. Hobas jacking pipe. Soil conditions were clay to flowing sand and silts with occasional boulders, all below the water table up to 30 ft deep. Eighteen liner plate shafts constructed with the use of dewatering.

The project took place in a residential area with tight working areas and relatively long drives for small diameters. The job began in February 2024 for shaft construction and tunneling was expected to be complete in June 2025. The City of Houston was the owner. Jacobs Engineering Group was the engineer.

Irving

Cottonwood & Hackberry Creek Wastewater Interceptor Improvements

Super Excavators,Inc.

The $26.7 million Cottonwood and Hackberry project for the City of Irving consisted of 4,900 lf of 60- and 54-in. fiber reinforced pipe from HOBAS. The tunnel project featured a single drive extending 2,100 lf, including a 947-lf curve with an 8,083-ft radius. This achievement set a new North American record for the longest single tunnel drive using Hobas pipe across all diameters. Ground conditions encountered consisted of fat clay with clayey sand and silty sands.

The primary method of pipe installation was trenchless microtunneling utilizing an Akkerman SL-60 MTBM. Shaft construction consists of ribs and boards ranging in size from 18 to 32 ft diameter with an average vertical depth of 28 ft.

The job was completed from January 2023 through October 2024. Freese and Nichols, Inc. was the engineer.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia

Saluda River Force Main Extension

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw Construction Corp. was contracted to build a two-pass sanitary sewer tunnel in Columbia. The 330-ft by 74.5-in. tunnel allows for the installation of proposed 48-in. sanitary sewer. The tunnel was built with a Robbins Rockhead Double Shielded Tunnel Boring Machine. The project included construction of a 26-ft liner plate launch shaft. A portion of the tunnel had to be constructed using drill and split methods due to historic ruins on the surface and a mixed face condition consisting of sand on top of granitic rock. Subsurface conditions consist of granitic rock.

Construction began January 2024 and was completed September 2024. The project members include City of Columbia (Owner), Stantec (Engineer) McClam & Associates, Inc. (General Contractor) and Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor.

VIRGINIA

Spotsylvania

Harrison Road Water Main Extension Project

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw Construction Corp. has recently begun construction on the Harrison Road Water Main Extension project in Spotsylvania. Bradshaw has installed a 33-ft x 22-ft elliptical launch shaft and is currently setting up microtunneling operations. The 542-ft x 60-in. steel casing tunnel will pass underneath I-95 to allow for installing 24-in. DI water main. The launch pit and tunnel begin in 12ksi gneiss, but after 100 ft the tunnel transitions to silty sand for the remainder of the drive. The MTBM will be recovered out of a 16-ft ID liner plate recovery shaft. The primary anticipated challenge will be navigating the mixed face/mixed reach conditions.

The project members include the Spotsylvania County Utilities Department (Owner), RK&K (Engineer), W.C. Spratt, Inc. (GC), and Bradshaw Construction Corporation working as the tunneling subcontractor.

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee

35th Street & West Roosevelt

Super Excavators Inc.

This $19.5 million project for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District consisted of 3,160 lf of 48-in. sewer in tunnel. Prior to starting microtunneling Super Excavators completed additional borings along the tunnel alignment on the west end of the job. The project plans had shown that bedrock was just below the tunnel and the additional borings showed bedrock as much as 5 ft into the tunnel. Due to this a hand mine tunnel was built in the location of the high bedrock.

The first microtunneling run heading from the launch shaft to the east was 1,630 lf. An S curve was added to increase drive length. The first curve was 1,558 ft radius to the right. Segment length was 322 ft. The second curve was 1,558 ft radius to the left. Segment length of 152.9 ft. The project began in November 2023. Tunneling was completed in April 2025. Super Excavators used an Akkerman SL60 MTBM. K. Singh & Associates was the engineer.

CANADA

ALBERTA

Calgary

Nose Creek Sanitary Sewer – Phase B, Contract 4

Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

This $27 million CAD project for the City of Calgary involves 2,255 m (7,400 ft) of 1,500 mm (59 in.) and 1,650 mm (65 in.) new sanitary sewer trunk. The microtunneling portion involves 1,755 m (5,760 ft) of tunnel in two drives, along with the construction of 3 RC caisson shafts. Construction began in February 2024 and was ongoing as of early May 2025. The 1,501-m (4,925-ft) drive marked the longest microtunnel completed in North America and the longest completed with a Herrenknecht AVN1500 worldwide.

ALBERTA/BRITISH COLUMBIA

Edmonton/Burnaby

Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline Project

Various Contractors

The total major trenchless crossings amounted to 45,000 m of Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), 5,800 m of Direct Pipe, as much as 1,300 m of MTBM microtunneling, as well as Horizontal Directional Boring (HDB) and all of the more conventional boring methods were required to successfully complete the project.

ONTARIO

Brampton

Queen Street Watermain and Sanitary Forcemain

Erritt Construction Ltd.

The Regional Municipality of Peel (Region) identified the need to upgrade the transmission watermain and sanitary forcemain along Queen Street East in the City of Brampton, Ontario to accommodate future development and provide additional redundancy. The Region hired Robinson Consultants Inc. (RCI) and Aldea Services (Aldea) to complete the detailed design and provide services during construction for the installation of the watermain and forcemain upgrades.

The entire project (trenchless and open cut) included the design and construction of 1,867 m of 600 mm transmission watermain and 1,069 m of 1,200 mm sanitary forcemain by a combination of open cut and trenchless methods. The transmission watermain featured a 353 m (1,158 ft) long, two-pass slurry microtunnel drive, while the forcemain included a 264 m (882 ft) long, single-pass slurry microtunnel drive, both drives were 1,200 mm in internal diameter and incorporated vertical and horizontal curvature, as well as downward gradient tunneling from the launch shaft to the low point beneath the river. Both drives were launched from a common launch shaft. The proposed microtunnel alignment was within 2.5 m of an existing critical Regional 900 mm diameter PVC forcemain.

The project was completed in April 2024. The owner was The Regional Municipality of Peel. Aldea Engineering Services Ltd. and Robinson Consultants Inc. provided engineering services. Erritt Construction Ltd. was the tunneling contractor.

Toronto

Dufferin Sanitary Trunk Sewer System Improvements

Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

The scope of work included the installation of approximately 780 m meters of 1,200 mm HDPE lined RCP using microtunneling. Additionally, the project involved CIPP rehabilitation of 256 m of the 750 mm diameter trunk sewer, the abandonment of 689 m of the existing trunk sewer, and a culvert under a dam structure. Both microtunneling drives involved very complex alignments with horizontal curvature of radius of 250 m and 300 m. The depth of cover varied from 2.0 m to 18.0 m and challenging ground water pressures in excess of 1.2 bar.

The owner is the City of Toronto. Stantec provided engineering services.

To have your project included in future North American Microtunneling Job Logs, contact Jim Rush at jrush@benjaminmedia.com.