TD&I Cable Maintenance, MidAmerican Energy’s Plymouth to Kellogg Project – Sioux City, IA

Challenge

The TD&I Cable Maintenance and MidAmerican Energy’s Plymouth to Kellogg project is located in Sioux City, Iowa. It aims to connect MidAmerican Energy’s (MidAm) downtown office building to a substation north of town. Along the route through the city, the project will also connect three substations and MidAm’s new communications building. The work is divided into three phases and is scheduled for completion in 2025.

MidAmerican Energy has a long-term goal of connecting its properties through a privately owned fiber optic network, eliminating the need to lease dark fiber from third parties. For this design-build project, CNE partnered with TD&I Cable Maintenance to provide engineering services to MidAm.

One unique challenge was crossing the Floyd River twice, which required navigating the complexities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) levee system. After evaluating options, leasing an existing duct from the City and FiberCom was determined to be the most feasible solution. Additionally, construction through Sioux City’s concrete-dense downtown added another layer of complexity to the project.

Solution

The project involved the installation of 15.66 miles of fiber optic cable, divided into three phases: Phase 1 spanned 6.46 miles, Phase 2 covered 7.3 miles, and Phase 3 included 1.9 miles. CNE was awarded the project in late 2023 and began staking in January 2024. Permitting took place throughout the winter and spring, with Phase 1 construction completed in just two weeks in May. Phase 2 followed, wrapping up in three weeks by the end of July. Phase 3 will be completed in 2025. Unlike most of CNE’s typically rural projects, this job primarily utilized horizontal directional drilling (HDD) construction, presenting new logistical challenges.

Outcome

With construction scheduled to wrap up in 2025, its completion will establish a dedicated, wholly owned fiber optic network for MidAmerican Energy. This network will reduce reliance on third-party infrastructure and enhance the company’s long-term operational efficiency.

CNE’s role in design, mapping, staking, permitting, construction supervision, and project management has helped strengthen a valuable partnership with both TD&I and MidAmerican Energy. This collaboration has already led to new opportunities for similar projects. Once completed, the fiber optic network will serve as a foundational element of MidAmerican’s broader communications infrastructure initiative.