In the winter of 2018–2019, Gabe’s HDD crew drilled 2,970 feet under Lake Wisconsin. Their team needed to install a 6” steel pipe, from pilot to pull, in the jettable soils underneath the lake — all in harsh winter conditions. Their civil crew also removed fiber from an existing rail bridge using a high-rail snooper truck.
Their team had minimal, narrow, workspace in the railroad’s right-of-way, which required extensive planning to navigate. They also had to carefully remove and relocate existing fiber lines. Finally, Gabe’s needed a clever solution for running surface steering wire on and under variable ice flows and open water. Inspired by Wisconsin ice fishermen, they ran the wire with an airboat — a quick solve that got the job done.