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Tunnel & Ground Engineering for Transportation 

Delivering safe, resilient transportation infrastructure in complex ground and constrained environments

Metro tunnel

Tunnel and ground engineering underpin modern transportation systems, enabling the safe movement of people and goods above and below ground. From dense urban rail networks to road and aviation infrastructure, tunneling and ground engineering overcome challenging conditions and space constraints to improve connectivity and support reliable transportation operations.

Jacobs integrates tunneling and ground engineering with transportation expertise to plan, design and deliver complex infrastructure across diverse environments and ground conditions. We manage ground risk, prioritize safety and strengthen resilience and long-term performance across rail, road, maritime and aviation assets.

Moving transportation forward

Underground solutions that improve connectivity and keep people and goods moving.

Reducing ground risk early

Ground investigation and integrated design that improve certainty in complex corridors. 

Building resilience below ground

Infrastructure designed to perform in dense, climate-exposed environments. 

Delivering underground and ground infrastructure

From tunnels to complex transportation systems, these solutions support safe delivery, operational performance and long-term resilience.

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Core Tunnel and Ground Engineering Disciplines

Core Tunnel and Ground Engineering Disciplines

Integrating tunnel, geotechnical, trenchless, geoscience and tunnel systems that support safe, coordinated delivery of transportation infrastructure across all ground conditions — above ground, at grade and underground.

Rail and Transit Infrastructure

Rail and Transit Infrastructure

Providing geotechnical services for rail and transit networks, including tunnels, elevated guideways and underground stations. We support cross passages, caverns, ventilation shafts, passenger concourses and escalator tunnels that enable high-capacity movement in complex urban environments.

Road and Highway Tunnels

Road and Highway Tunnels

Designing and delivering road and highway tunnels in urban, greenfield and mountainous settings — balancing constructability and cost efficiency with safe operation to keep communities moving.

Aviation Infrastructure

Aviation Infrastructure

Delivering tunnel and geotechnical expertise for aviation infrastructure, including runway and taxiway pavements, terminals, people-mover systems and underground passenger and baggage handling tunnels. We support delivery in operationally critical and safety-sensitive airport environments.

Ports and Maritime Infrastructure

Ports and Maritime Infrastructure

Supporting ports and maritime infrastructure with geotechnical expertise, including port facilities, cruise terminals, coastal resilience works, land reclamation projects and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal facilities.

Tunnel Systems

Tunnel Systems

Integrating mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire and life safety systems with tunnel and ground engineering for rail, transit, road and aviation infrastructure — supporting safe operation in both normal and emergency conditions.

Resilience, Adaptation and Asset Performance

Resilience, Adaptation and Asset Performance

Enabling transportation infrastructure owners to manage uncertainty and adapt to climate impacts while strengthening long-term asset performance through resilience planning and asset management.

Understanding tunneling and ground engineering

Key insights into risk management, delivery models and infrastructure performance across transportation systems.

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Tunneling and ground engineering in transportation involves planning, designing and delivering at-grade and underground infrastructure that supports rail, road, maritime and aviation systems in complex ground conditions. 

Underground infrastructure allows transportation networks to operate safely and efficiently in constrained environments by reducing surface disruption, improving connectivity and increasing network resilience.  

Tunneling and ground engineering support road tunnels, rail and transit tunnels and at-grade infrastructure, underground stations and airport facilities including underground passenger concourses, baggage handling tunnels, people-mover systems and operational facilities. 

Ground risk is managed through early investigation, ground characterization, modeling and integrated design to reduce uncertainty and support safe construction and operation. 

Underground transportation projects improve resilience by protecting critical infrastructure from geo-hazards, accommodating climate adaptation and enabling reliable operation during extreme events.  

Tunneling and ground engineering support sustainable transportation by optimizing alignments, reducing surface impacts, lowering embodied carbon and extending asset life.

Underground transportation projects are delivered using models such as design-build, alliancing and progressive design-build delivery, supporting collaboration and risk management on complex programs. 

Full lifecycle services for tunneling and ground engineering for transportation 

All Services

  • Condition Assessments & Rehabilitation

    Assessing existing underground infrastructure and developing cost-effective methods to rehabilitate and extend service life.

  • Tunnel Ventilation, Fire & Life Safety Systems

    Designing ventilation, fire and life safety systems for underground energy and power infrastructure.

  • Space-Proofing for Underground Infrastructure

    Developing geometries and layouts for underground facilities and tunnels, including space-proofing and clash detection to ensure that tunnel systems are adequately incorporated, using in-house design automation tools and BIM to enhance efficiency.

  • High-Speed Rail Tunnels

    Developing high-speed rail tunnels using specialized software to optimize the tunnel cross-section while ensuring passenger comfort during operations.

  • Construction Impact Assessments

    Evaluating the impact of excavating tunnels and other underground infrastructure on adjacent buildings and utilities, including the development of monitoring and instrumentation schemes.

Projects

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