INSIGHT | TRANSPORT & UTILITIES - NORTH AMERICA
Pre-planning
Planning Pre-execution Execution
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000 Above: Global – Tunnel Construction Project Pipeline, Value by Stage ($M) SOURCE: GLOBALDATA
be expected. Of the next biggest category though, Western Europe differs from most other areas looking at redevelopment whereas it is about expansion.
FUTURE SPEND - GLOBAL Following an influx of fiscal stimulus packages in 2025 to combat growth stagnation, governments are expected to scale back new infrastructure spending in the near term. Rising global public debt is likely to constrain new public infrastructure investment, including tunnelling. For instance, several large, high-value tunnel projects have also been delayed, adds GlobalData - such as completion of the SLBC tunnel project in India, which has been delayed by at least a year, to after January 2028. Overall, though, private-sector financing for new
megaprojects has also softened amid weaker business confidence among developers and contractors, adds GlobalData. Persistent headwinds – rising material costs and shortages of skilled labour – are pushing up delivery costs and further discouraging new tunnel investments. Elevated interest rates, slow global growth, and tariff- related uncertainty are expected to add additional pressure on public budgets. With those economic cautious notes, GlobalData
estimates, on the assumption that all projects proceed as planned and that spending is evenly distributed over the construction phase, that total annual spending on tunnel and tunnel-dominated projects could reach approximately
Pre-planning
Western Europe North-East Asia
Australasia North America South-East Asia South Asia
Middle East and North Africa Eastern Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa Latin America
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 Above: Global – Tunnel Construction Project Pipeline, Value by Stage and Region ($m) SOURCE: GLOBALDATA 38 | June 2026 400,000
US$78.7 billion for the whole of 2026, and US$98.2 billion in 2027. But higher still is forecast for 2028, peaking at US$116.1 billion.
NORTH AMERICA As noted, within North America the largest project pipeline value by stage is Execution over Pre-Planning by a margin, although globally the latter ranks high. GlobalData says, from its analysis, that the value of the
pipeline in North America is skewed towards projects in the late stages of development, including Pre-Execution and Execution, with these phases accounting for a combined US$76.8 billion of pipeline value. Based on the data available on the length of tunnel
works tracked by GlobalData, the project pipeline comprises developments in the region with a combined length of almost 500km, with the US accounting for 436km, and Canada with 63km. By sector - and unlike most other regions of the world
- the region sees the Water and Sewerage sector in the lead. Elsewhere the lead is with Transport. In North America, the pipeline value for Water and Sewerage is US$67.7 billion, followed by Transport at US$55billion, split between Railway tunnels (US$43.2 billion) and Road tunnels ($11.8 billion). Projects in the Public sector account for the majority (81.2%) of the pipeline by value, while Public Private procurement and Private sector arrangements are much less (17.7% and 1.1%, respectively).
Planning Pre-execution Execution
1,200,000
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