It is a common misconception that horizontal directional drilling is a new concept. It actually came into being several decades ago. The idea of this type of installation first applied to gas lines with the initial major project being to install a gas line under the Pajaro River. That was a major undertaking in the day and took nearly a month to span the 500 feet needed. Today, we use horizontal directional drilling for a variety of underground utilities, especially laying fiber optic cable.
While most projects are suitable for horizontal directional drilling, there are a few that it is ideally suited for:
- Under a River – Just as they did back in 1971 when they drilled under the Pajaro River, it is still an excellent way to get cable from one riverbank to the other. Other bodies of water can also be spanned in this way.
- Under a Highway – While it might not have a huge impact to trench a two-lane road or one that isn’t heavily traveled, multi-lane highways and busy ones pose a problem that horizontal directional drilling resolves, namely not wanting to shut down the highway.
- Under Protected Lands – There are many sensitive ecological areas throughout our nation that you wouldn’t want to disturb by trenching through them.
- Under an Established Community – There is no need to tear down buildings or trench right through them when you use horizontal directional drilling.
If you are looking to install fiber optic cabling underground and you have conditions that make trenching a problem, reach out to us at GP Associates, Inc. to learn about our horizontal directional drilling services. We offer a wide variety of solutions for any type of project, so we are confident we can help you make yours a complete success.