Working on the Railroad with Level 3

Plowing, trenching, and boring along rural roads, interstates, and rail lines, Level 3 Communications, Inc., of Broomfield, CO, is burying bundles of high-volume, fiber-optic cable. The $12 billion network eventually will link 56 cities in North America, as well as cities in Europe and Asia. Using Internet Protocol (or IP) technology, the high-capacity/high-speed system is intended to carry voice, video, and data transmissions.

Since 1999, KCI Technologies has been working with Kiewit Construction Group, Inc., the project’s contractor, providing design and permitting services for 140 miles of the overall 16,000-mile U. S. network. KCI’s project area extends from Washington, DC, northwest through Maryland to Pittsburgh, PA, and includes a 35-mile section in Akron, OH.

“It’s a daunting task,” explained KCI Project Manager Tim Wolfe, PE, “particularly in terms of our timetable for preparing the contract drawings—about 800 to date—and processing county, State, and rail permits. It’s been a fast-track process. But we have a great partnership with Kiewit. They need to finish the network by the end of 2000, and we’re going to do our part to get them there.”

While a large part of the cable is being laid on railroad corridors, about 40% of the permitting is along roadways. “In Pennsylvania, 32 miles of the alignment runs within PennDOT’s right-of-way, which has minimized impacts to the community,” Wolfe said. “Even so, we testified at public hearings in local townships and boroughs to allay potential concerns.” Kiewit expects that the U. S. network will go on-line by Fall 2000.

Working on the Railroad with Level 3

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