A major port project has been completed on time and under budget this year in California thanks to the minimum disruption achieved through tunnelling.
The Beach port rail project which includes in its wider scope, doubling major rail facilities and trebling the volume of on-dock rail cargo it can handle annually to 4.7 million 20-ft equivalent units from 1.5 million, also included rerouting major pipeline infrastructure.
The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility also received a 2025 West Best Projects Award of Merit.
As part of the project, the Tidelands’ active pipelines that run beneath navigable waterways, including the Turning Basin and Channel No. 2, needed to be rerouted without disrupting ongoing operations.
The complex horizontal directional drilling (HDD) beneath these locations posed numerous logistical and technical challenges.
According to ENR West the project involved precise, multiple HDD installations under tight alignment tolerances, with strict environmental protections and contingency planning in place.
It also notes the projects encountered subsurface obstructions mid-alignment, but excavation crews were able to remove these obstructions without delays or costly re-drills.
The result ensured the quality and environmental integrity of the project was maintained and was delivered nearly three weeks ahead of schedule in May 2025.
To receive your weekly dose of trenchless news from across the globe, subscribe to the Global Trenchless newsletter.
