The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) are working to expand access through the Arizona Statewide Broadband Strategic Plan. Reyez Construction and joint-venture partner CS Construction, Reyez Construction/CS, are building out the southern portion of the state’s new Middle-Mile Network, adding connectivity along Interstate 19 from Tucson to Nogales. This network brings high-speed internet connection to low-income, rural and tribal communities in Arizona who don’t have broadband access. In addition, the project added the necessary infrastructure ADOT needs to have in place for its Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

Along 63 miles of interstate shoulder, the design-build team installed fiber-optic and high-speed internet infrastructure via broadband cable. The $15 million project includes trenching and installation of three-inch HDPE conduit with seven micro ducts, 288-strand fiber optic cable, triple pull boxes every 3,000 feet, and two new node buildings.

Micro-trenching, used for nearly one-third of this project, is a safer, less disruptive, and more environmentally sensitive process for installing broadband cable. It involves cutting a 4-inch-wide by 14-inch-deep trench, placing the multiduct, staking it down to avoid deflections, and then backfilling with cement slurry.