Underground Construction - June 2021 - 16

pletion of the $1.2-billion Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline. Its
purpose was to facilitate the transport of Sable Island gas through
Canada and Northern Maine to key U.S. markets in the Northeast.
Telecom boom
Large cross-county telecommunication projects were the norm
with no end in sight. Williams completed its 250-mile fi ber-optic
construction project from Houston to Dallas, the latest route in
one of the largest networks in the U.S. At more than over 19,00
miles in the ground, with 17,000 miles lit and in-service, it was
scheduled to expand to 32,000 miles by December 2000.
Enron began construction of a fi ber-optic line, extending from
Salt Lake City to Houston.
Level 3 Communications was formed, in Omaha, to build
the world's fi rst telecommunications network using Internet
Protocol packet switching technology, which promised to make
more effi cient and cost-eff ective use of available fi ber, compared
to the existing circuit-switching technology. Domestically, longhaul
segments will cover 15,000 route miles across the U.S. Th e
company expected to complete all local systems in metropolitan
markets by the end of 2001.
Underground Construction conducted the fi rst-annual survey of
municipal personnel and reported results in a feature story. Now
in its 24th year, the survey provides quantitative and qualitative
details about municipalities' infrastructure spending and other
critical subjects that are not tracked and published anywhere else.
In the last year of the 20th century, the overall industry had an
optimistic - but realistic - outlook.
After being in-the-works for several years, the Alliance natural
gas pipeline fi nally kicked-off in 1999. Its now-$4.5 billion,
1,900-mile line from Canada to the U.S. was one of the largest
construction projects in North America.
HDD was thriving and maturing, with the U.S. market soaring
to 9,000 rigs. CASE made a big splash entering the trenchless
industry, by introducing two new directional drill models and
a new mixing system at UCT 1999. A third rig model was to be
introduced later in the year.
Michels Pipeline Construction pushed the directional drilling
envelope to achieve a new length-width record: a 24-inch, 6,041foot
bore. Amazingly, it was largely drilled through solid rock, as
part of a 67-mile extension to the 37-mile Cardinal Pipeline in N.C.
Other innovations were demonstrated by a pipe bursting
contractor who made a record-length run for upsizing 24-inch to
26-inch on a sewer project. Grouting techniques installed replacement
trunk sewer lines inside primary-lined tunnels that crossed
fault lines. A new liner product was introduced that used HDPE
pipe as inner and outer liners, then fi lled with cementitious grout.
Divers used sliplining for underwater siphon repairs.
It was an active, optimistic year for Underground Construction,
too. Th e magazine introduced the " First Look " feature to provide
readers with an exclusive, comprehensive preview of cutting-edge
equipment and technology new to the marketplace. With the
launch of the UCT Seminar Series, two Advanced Municipal Sewer
& Water Workshops were held during the year.
In addition, the fi rst monthly " Editor's Log, " column by Editorin-Chief
Robert Carpenter started welcoming readers to each issue
and addressing timely topics and trends. *
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Underground Construction - June 2021

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