A tunnel boring machine (TBM) rests near the banks of the Mississippi River, staged for the start of a subsurface water main tunnel project. The machine’s circular cutting head and support equipment are visible beside heavy lifting cranes, part of a major infrastructure effort to modernize the city’s underground water distribution system

An aerial view captures the excavation shaft for a massive water main tunnel beneath the Mississippi River. The reinforced concrete cylinder serves as the launch point for a tunnel boring machine, visible nearby, which will cut through layers of limestone and shale to create a new conduit linking the city’s water systems. The project represents a critical upgrade to regional infrastructure, designed to improve reliability and resilience while accommodating future demand across Minneapolis and St. Paul.