tunnelling under sidewalk; how to do it?

[RB]

What's a procedure for tunnelling under a residential sidewalk? I need to run some wires under one, and just wonder what the easy way is.

[user]

I've used a water hose connected to a length of pipe (equal to or greater in length than the width of the sidewalk) with a gate valve on it for on and off, to 'blow' a hole through the soil underneath sidewalks.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

1st, you have to "Call Before You Dig". If you skip this step, you can be fined big time, even if you don't break anything. 2nd, you may need a local permit if you're moving onto the locality's right of way, like the strip between the sidewalk and the street.

Call your town or city for the correct info in your case.

Barry

[TOM KAN PA]

____Reply Separator_____ The strip between the sidewalk and the street, have you heard of a word used to describe this strip? I know what it was called in my home town............but I won't mention it yet.

[Trent©]

Garden hose with fine nozzle...or pressure washer. It depends a lot on the soil conditions...how far under you want to go, etc.

For instance...you can dig down a foot or so on either side...then use a long handle garden tool (ice chopper, etc.) to make the tunnel.

You can also use a long piece of open pipe...and ram it into the tunnel to catch the dirt and remove it. Then clean the pipe and do it again.

There's all kinda ways.

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving season...

Trent

[Truitt Bottsford III]

Yea right, to run some wires under a sidewalk? You need to call them before you dig your garden too?

Who the hell ever said anything about the locality's right of way?

[The Gnerd]

I'm taking a guess that you're installing a dog fence.

If you are, I suggest you consider cutting a slot with a standard circular saw and a $3 abrasive blade. Surprisingly quick and easy.

[Stormin Mormonn]

Hire a prarie dog.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

If it's the sidewalk next to the street you do.

See the previous comment.

Barry

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Actually, depending on HOW you're digging in the garden, maybe.

From:

Q. Who must notify Call Before You Dig? A. Anyone using power or mechanized equipment who disturbs the earth on or below the surface must call the clearinghouse for a location request Q. If I am hand digging, am I required to notify CBYD? A. No, however, it makes good sense. Utility lines and cables can be easily broken or damaged with a spade, shovel, fence post digger or pic Q. What if I am digging on private property, must I still notify CBYD? A. Regardless if the work performed is on private or public property, CBYD must be notified . Does grading or milling/reclamation constitute excavation? A. YES! Effective March 21, 1997, the CBYD regulations were revised and included milling/reclamation as forms of "excavation". When in doubt, CALL!

Barry

[tflfb]

I needed to get to the other side of a side walk too, but what I did was look for a seam that was wide enough to shove the wire cable into then I applied a poly urethane caulk on the seam.

Tom.

[Jim Thompson]

The cable TV in my neighborhood was installed by sawing a deep slot in the street asphalt adjacent to the concrete curb roll-up.

Drop a cable in the slot and fill-up with an asphalt-like caulking.

...Jim Thompson

[John Hines]

Parkway.

[avoidspam]

Whether you have to call or not if you are "hand digging" may depend on where you are located (state) - here it is recommended because of the fact that the things you may hit are not buried too deep in the ground, our telephone lines are only 6-7 inches below the ground in several places between the NIC and the terminal post on the street.

[Trent©]

Why are you sending a link re: Connecticut regulations?

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving season...

Trent

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Because the OP didn't name a location, and Connecticut's CBYD program is an example of WHY the OP should look into it locally. The site also has links to DigSafe, which covers MA, RI, NH,VT, and ME.

Most states have some sort of program like this, and forewarned is forearmed.

Barry

[William W. Plummer]

Just ducking under a sidewalk might best be done with a hose and water. You won't cut anything that way.

[Brian Henderson]

The city owns the sidewalk and anything under it. If there are wires or pipes run under the sidewalk, then you will be held legally and financially responsible for having them repaired, as well as any damage or loss caused by your carelessness.

The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street is controlled by the city. A couple of years ago, the city my parents live in decided they wanted to plant trees in *EVERY* yard. My father called to complain and was told that it was city property and he couldn't do a thing about it.

[Stormin Mormonn]

Did he manage to kill off the tree some how? Bags of rock salt around the base of the tree or something?

[Tom Quackenbush]

Interesting. Who's responsible for keeping the strip mowed?

R, Tom Q.