Subaqueous Utility Crossing in Florida

When a direct embedded subaqueous feeder cable beneath Boca Ciega Bay reached the end of its service life, our customer needed a team capable of pulling off an engineering feat, drilling a bore 120 feet below a bay spanning nearly 4,000 feet, feeding a 20″ pipe with six 4″ conduits, and pulling 19,000 pounds of copper cable through three of them. Infratech was brought in to make it happen.

The biggest challenge wasn’t the technical scope, it was earning the community’s trust. The work was loud, the hours long, and the disruption real for residents on both sides of the bay. Rather than simply notify and proceed, Infratech supervisors went door to door, answered questions, eased concerns, and kept neighbors informed throughout. That groundwork paid off, residents stayed engaged and supportive from start to finish.

The project ran from October through January and was completed without incident. Four traffic-rated concrete pull boxes were set at the bore ends and termination points, and restoration crews ensured the surrounding landscape was left in better shape than before work began. Three of the six conduits were left empty for future capacity, a long term investment in the community’s power reliability for decades to come.

• Nearly 4,000-foot bore drilled 120 feet below Boca Ciega Bay
• 19,000 lbs of copper cable pulled through three of six installed conduits
• Four traffic-rated concrete pull boxes set at bore ends and termination points
• Three conduits left empty for future growth, decades of capacity built in
• Completed on schedule with strong community support through proactive door to door outreach