Directional Boring & HDD
Trenchless underground installation under roads, driveways, and waterways.
Directional boring — horizontal directional drilling, or HDD — is how AMS installs conduit and fiber beneath obstacles without tearing them up. A drill bores a path along a designed profile, then pulls the product line back through the bore. It's the method of choice for crossing roads, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, landscaping, and waterways with minimal surface disruption and fast restoration. AMS runs a fleet of four directional drills and self-performs boring as part of the full scope of a utility or fiber job.
Serves
Boring is the right call wherever an open trench isn't allowed or practical — under highways, county roads, driveways, parking lots, railroads, wetlands, and waterways. On the Gulf Coast that's most road crossings, where ALDOT and Baldwin County restrict open-cutting the pavement.
Directional Boring on the Gulf Coast
Sandy coastal soils
Baldwin and Mobile counties sit on the Gulf Coastal Plain — largely sandy, rock-free ground. That drills fast, but loose sand can slough into the bore, so bore-path planning and drilling-fluid (bentonite) management are what keep the hole stable from entry to exit.
High water table near the coast
Close to the bays and Gulf, groundwater sits high. Trenchless boring installs below grade without opening a wet, caving trench — often the only clean way to cross at depth in low coastal areas.
ALDOT & county road-crossing permits
State-highway crossings (US-98, AL-59, AL-181) need an ALDOT right-of-way utility permit; county roads go through the Baldwin County Highway Department. AMS bores to the permitted depth and cover, and potholes existing lines with the vac truck before drilling.
Directional Boring rarely travels alone
AMS combines this with the rest of the scope so one crew owns the whole route.
Directional Boring — FAQ
What can AMS bore under?
Roads, highways, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, landscaping, and waterways — anywhere an open trench isn't practical. HDD installs the conduit or fiber along a designed path with minimal surface disruption.
How many directional drills does AMS run?
AMS owns and operates four directional drills, supported by two vacuum trucks for clean bores and safe potholing around existing utilities.
Is boring done as a stand-alone service?
Usually as part of a full job — AMS bores the crossings, trenches the open run, sets the access points, and pulls the fiber as one accountable scope.
Need directional boring on your next job?
Tell us the route and spec. AMS self-performs directional boring as part of the full underground scope — call (251) 943-0267 or request a bid.