The Infrastructure People Don’t See: What Has to Happen Before Cities Grow

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When people think about city growth, they usually picture new apartments, homes, restaurants, warehouses, roads, sidewalks, and commercial buildings. But before any of those finished projects become visible, a large amount of work has to happen underground.

For cities like Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point, growth is not just about what gets built above ground. It also depends on the utilities, access, planning, and construction work beneath the surface. Water lines, sewer systems, gas lines, electric conduit, fiber, storm drains, and other underground infrastructure all play a role in whether a project can move forward safely and efficiently.

This article breaks down the hidden infrastructure process into simple steps so property owners, residents, and local stakeholders can better understand what has to happen before cities grow.

Step 1: Understand What the Project Will Need

Every project starts with a basic question: what does the site need in order to support the finished development?

A new housing project, commercial building, roadway improvement, or redevelopment site may need:

• Water service
• Sewer connection
• Storm drain improvements
• Gas service
• Electric conduit
• Fiber or telecom lines
• Fire service lines
• Irrigation or drainage systems
• Utility relocations

Before construction begins, the project team needs to understand what utilities already exist, what needs to be added, and whether the existing infrastructure can support the new use.

Step 2: Review Existing Plans, Maps, and Utility Records

The next step is reviewing the available information. This may include civil plans, utility maps, surveys, as-built drawings, property records, easement documents, and old construction plans.

The challenge is that underground records are not always perfect. Some lines may have been installed decades ago. Others may have been moved, abandoned, repaired, or replaced without complete documentation.

That is why plans are a starting point, not the final answer.

Step 3: Locate Existing Underground Utilities

Before any digging, trenching, boring, or grading begins, underground utilities need to be located. Utility locating helps identify where existing lines may be so crews can avoid damaging them.

Common utilities that need to be located include:

• Water
• Sewer
• Gas
• Electric
• Fiber optic lines
• Telephone and communications lines
• Storm drains
• Irrigation
• Unknown private utilities

Companies like Devco Development & Engineering work around underground utilities regularly and emphasize that proper locating and planning can help reduce delays, safety risks, and expensive utility conflicts.

For property owners and developers, this step is one of the most important parts of the pre-construction process.

Step 4: Confirm Critical Utilities Through Potholing

Utility marks on the ground are helpful, but they do not always confirm exact depth, alignment, or condition. That is where potholing, also called daylighting, becomes important.

Potholing physically exposes an existing utility so crews can see where it is before construction moves forward.

This is especially important when:

• New utilities will cross existing utilities
• Directional boring is planned
• Excavation will happen near marked lines
• The site has congested underground utilities
• Old plans are incomplete
• The cost of damaging a utility would be significant

Hydro excavation is often used for potholing because it can expose utilities in a more controlled way than digging blindly with heavy equipment.

Step 5: Identify Conflicts Before Construction Starts

Once existing utilities are located and critical lines are confirmed, the project team can identify possible conflicts.

A conflict may happen when a proposed new utility, foundation, driveway, storm drain, sidewalk, or road improvement crosses or interferes with an existing line.

Common conflicts include:

• A new sewer line crossing an existing water line
• New electric conduit crossing gas or telecom lines
• Storm drain improvements conflicting with existing utilities
• Building improvements located too close to easements
• Road or sidewalk work requiring utility relocation
• Unknown abandoned lines in the path of construction

Finding these issues early gives the project team more options. Waiting until equipment is already on site can lead to delays, redesigns, change orders, or emergency repairs.

Step 6: Choose the Right Installation Method

Once the project team knows what needs to be installed or relocated, they have to decide how the work should be performed.

Two common methods are open trenching and directional boring.

Open trenching may make sense when the area is accessible, restoration is manageable, and the work can be completed safely from the surface.

Directional boring may be a better option when utilities need to pass under roads, sidewalks, driveways, landscaping, or other areas where open trenching would create too much disruption.

Devco Development & Engineering performs underground utility work such as directional boring, trenching, potholing, and hydro excavation. Choosing the right method depends on site conditions, utility depth, surface impacts, access, safety, and long-term project goals.

Step 7: Coordinate With Utility Owners, Agencies, and Inspectors

Underground infrastructure work usually involves more than one party. Depending on the project, coordination may be needed with utility companies, local agencies, inspectors, engineers, property owners, and contractors.

This coordination can include:

• Permit approvals
• Utility shutdowns
• Inspection scheduling
• Easement review
• Traffic control requirements
• Right-of-way access
• Service connection approvals
• Testing requirements

This part of the process is not always visible to the public, but it can have a major impact on the project schedule.

Step 8: Plan for Traffic, Access, and Community Disruption

When underground work happens in active neighborhoods, business districts, or roadway corridors, crews also have to plan around the people who live, work, shop, and travel nearby.

Construction planning may need to address:

• Lane closures
• Sidewalk closures
• Driveway access
• Business access
• Parking impacts
• Noise and dust
• Temporary utility interruptions
• Pedestrian safety
• Work-hour restrictions

Good planning can reduce frustration for residents and businesses. It can also help keep projects safer and more organized.

Step 9: Install, Test, Backfill, and Restore

Once the planning, locating, potholing, and coordination are complete, the actual utility construction can begin.

Depending on the project, this may include:

• Excavating or boring the utility path
• Installing pipe, conduit, or utility lines
• Connecting to existing systems
• Testing the new installation
• Inspecting the work
• Backfilling trenches or pits
• Compacting the area
• Restoring pavement, landscaping, sidewalks, or other surfaces

This is the part of the process most people may briefly notice, but it is only one stage of a much larger infrastructure effort.

Step 10: Document What Was Built

After underground utility work is complete, documentation matters. Accurate records help future property owners, agencies, utility companies, and contractors understand what was installed and where it is located.

Good closeout documentation may include:

• As-built drawings
• Photos
• Utility depths
• Material records
• Inspection reports
• Testing results
• Location notes
• Updated site plans

This information helps reduce confusion and risk on future projects.

Conclusion

City growth does not begin when a building opens, a road is paved, or a ribbon is cut. It starts much earlier, often underground.

Before new housing, businesses, roads, sidewalks, and redevelopment projects can succeed, the hidden infrastructure has to be planned, located, installed, tested, and documented. For residents, property owners, and community leaders, understanding this process can make construction feel less mysterious and help explain why infrastructure work is such an important part of responsible growth.

The finished project may be what people see, but the underground work is often what makes it possible.