The Infrastructure Show - Podcasts

Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are large, integrated machines that make tunneling faster, safer, and more efficient.  To dig into the details of how TBMs work, we talk with Mike Mooney, Grewcock Distinguished Chair Professor of Underground Construction and Tunneling, and Professor of both Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, at the Colorado School of

Chicago, the center of North American railroading, is also the center of rail congestion, in part  because it has so many level crossings. Among the busiest was on 75th Street, on the Southwest Side of the city where trains from four railroads meet at a 90-degree grade crossing. In 2025, this junction was converted to

Sidewalks are important links in almost every passenger trip. When they fall into disrepair, or where they are incomplete, they create hazards and barriers for pedestrians. Denver, like many cities, left sidewalk maintenance and funding to adjacent property owners, leading to condition problems and continuity gaps. To address this situation, the city recently established its

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene played havoc with North Carolina’s highway system, striking the western part of the state which has rarely seen hurricanes. The NC Department of Transportation worked aggressively to protect both physical assets and people during the storm and in restoration efforts after Helene passed. The agency earned several industry awards for

A major role of the U.S. Coast Guard is responding to waterborne disasters. Managing large scale disasters usually calls for multi-agency collaboration based on shared information. In such situations, the Coast Guard relies on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to provide a common operating picture to all collaborators. To learn how the Coast Guard uses GIS

Orange County, California has been treating wastewater and injecting it into its groundwater supply system since 2008. This is the largest indirect – cycled through the aquifer – potable water reuse system in the world. The treated recycled water has properties close to distilled water. To explore this process in detail, we talk with Mehul

Motor fuel taxes have long been the primary source of both federal and state funds for U.S. highways. In recent decades, the sufficiency of fuel taxes has come into question as vehicles have gained in fuel efficiency and electric vehicles have become more common.  As the time nears for the US Congress to re-authorize the

Decades in the making, the Hudson River Tunnel Project is adding two railway tunnels between New Jersey and New York to serve Amtrak and New Jersey Transit riders. These tunnels will increase rail capacity and add critical redundancy to the network. To learn about this project, we’re talking with Thomas Prendergast, CEO of the Gateway

Irving, Texas, a city of about 255,000 people near Dallas, is growing fast, and its water supply and wastewater systems must be upgraded to support rapidly increasing demands. To do this, Irving has created a multi-year, citywide program to maintain and expand its water management systems.  To learn more about this large-scale municipal infrastructure program,

Four dams were removed from the Klamath River in 2023-24 to bring it back to its natural, wild state. These dams provided water and power to the region but blocked spawning salmon, and they were declared economically inefficient by their owner. This was the largest dam removal effort in U.S., leading to the restoration of the river, its environment, and services to Native American communities. To explain the motivations, methods, and outcomes of this project, we talk with Brian Graber, Senior Director of Dam Removal Strategies for American Rivers, a 50-year-old not-for-profit organization which advocates for the health and restoration of U.S. rivers. Brian earned a B.A. in geography from Dartmouth College, and M.S. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in civil and environmental engineering and in geography.