2026 Microtunneling Job Log

Our 2026 North American Microtunneling Job Log is presented below. Jim Rush, editorial consultant to Trenchless Technology and publisher/editor 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 a future Microtunneling Job Log, contact Jim at jrush@benjaminmedia.com.

California

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 completion was 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 Line 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 completion is 2nd Quarter 2027.

Connecticut

Windsor Locks

Bradley International Airport-Storm Drain Repair and Restoration – CRS Contractors Inc.

The Bradley International Airport-Storm Drain Repair and Restoration project for the Connecticut Airport Authority consisted of a 200-ft run into a 40-ft embankment. Microtunneling was executed into a fill area that was used to create an airport taxiway. Crews used a Herrenknecht AVN1200 TB with a 60-in. OD.
Other parties involved on the project included Arborio Corp. (contractor) and CDM Smith (consultant). The microtunneling portion of the contract was approximately $2 million.

Delaware

New Castle County

West Wing Service Area Force Main – CRS Contractors Inc.

The West Wing Service Area Force Main project for New Castle County Department of Public Works involved installing 52-in. OD Permalok steel casing 780 ft under Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. CRS used a Herrenknecht AVN1200 TB with a 52-in. OD to navigate clay silts and sands. This approximately $3 million project began in January 2026 and was on pace to complete in July 2026.

Other parties involved included Joao Bradley Construction Co. (general contractor) and AECOM (consultant).

Florida

Tampa

FDOT Downtown Tampa Interchange Project – Huxted Trenchless

The FDOT Downtown Tampa Interchange project installed approximately 2,773 lf of 62.5-in. OD welded steel casing using slurry microtunneling beneath a dense urban corridor where open-cut construction was not feasible. Huxted Trenchless completed six drives ranging from about 247 to 763 ft using an ISEKI Unclemole TCC1350 MTBM, launched from sheet pile shafts designed to withstand jacking forces of 400–600 tons under high groundwater conditions.

Ground conditions combined typical saturated soils with significant unforeseen buried obstructions, which became a challenge for the project. Jacking loads varied significantly, notably rising from about 24.5 tons to over 124 tons during a 754-ft drive, requiring continuous tunneling to prevent pipe seizure. The project required constant real-time adjustments to slurry flow, face pressure, and advance rates, along with contingency planning for potential rescue shafts.

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