ECI 2025 Recap: A Year of Innovation and Impact
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on a year defined by progress, partnerships, and engineering solutions that pushed boundaries. From historic rehabilitation work to high-impact civil, tunneling, and environmental projects, our team continued to demonstrate why ECI is trusted for the toughest challenges.
This year brought new opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and deliver meaningful results for the communities we serve. Below is a look at some of the work that defined 2025 and what we look forward to in the year ahead.
Project Highlights
Strengthening Colorado’s Mountain Gateway: Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel Rehabilitation
In 2025, ECI brought its work on the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel close to completion, reinforcing one of Colorado’s most critical transportation corridors and a vital connection through the Rocky Mountains. This ongoing rehabilitation effort focuses on preserving and strengthening aging tunnel infrastructure while maintaining safety and reliability for the traveling public.
The project involved highly specialized underground construction and grouting operations performed in a confined, structurally sensitive location. Working within an active tunnel system required meticulous planning, strict safety controls, and close coordination to minimize disruption while executing technically demanding rehabilitation work.
Through this work, ECI is helping extend the service life of a nationally significant transportation asset, reinforcing its role as a trusted partner for complex tunnel rehabilitation projects in challenging conditions.
Copper Peak Ski Jump Revitalization in Ironwood, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The Copper Peak project marked a major milestone in the revitalization of one of Michigan’s most iconic landmarks. Located in Ironwood, Copper Peak is home to one of the world’s largest ski jumps. ECI is proud to be the prime contractor for the landing hill reconstruction. Teaming with Dykon Blasting and collaborating with Barr Engineering, ECI is incorporating geotechnical and hill access procedures that will preserve and modernize this historic structure.
This project requires specialty construction techniques, careful coordination, and a deep respect for the site’s legacy. The work is performed in a unique setting that combines structural complexity, challenging access, and the need to protect both the facility and surrounding environment.
By contributing to the rehabilitation of Copper Peak, ECI is proud to support a project with lasting economic and cultural impact for the region, helping ensure the landmark remains a destination for athletes, visitors, and the surrounding community for years to come.
Raw Water Intake Design-Build Project in Aurora, Minnesota
In 2025, ECI delivered a design-build raw water intake project for the City of Aurora, Minnesota, providing a fully integrated solution from engineering through construction. The project included the design and installation of a large-diameter lake intake using sunken caisson construction methods for the pumping structure, micro-tunnel lake tapping to install the intake pipeline, and underwater installation of the intake screen and support structure. This technical installation will ensure long-term reliability of the municipal water system.
ECI provided value engineering throughout the project, optimizing constructability while maintaining performance and durability requirements. The work involved fabrication, installation, and coordination of specialized components, including seals, pressure chambers, and engineered underwater support systems, all executed under challenging site and environmental conditions.
By combining in-house design expertise with field execution, ECI delivered a streamlined solution that reduced risk, improved efficiency, and provided the City of Aurora with critical water infrastructure built for long-term service.
Additional Milestones from 2025
Lake Elmo West Connection
ECI is nearing completion for the Lake Elmo West Connection, a major sanitary sewer expansion project featuring extensive micro-tunneling operations. This milestone advanced critical infrastructure improvements while reinforcing ECI’s expanding tunneling capabilities.
St. Cloud Hydro – Gate Rehabilitation
In late 2025, ECI began rehabilitation work on two tainter gates at the St. Cloud Hydro facility. This project will continue into 2026 and reflects ECI’s expanding expertise in hydroelectric gate rehabilitation and specialty fabrication.
Tree of Five Seasons – Geotechnical Improvements
ECI wrapped up geotechnical work at the Tree of Five Seasons project in 2025, which included micro-pile installation. Through collaboration and value-based engineering, the team worked with project partners to refine the approach and identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining performance requirements.
Strengthening Partnerships & Expanding Capabilities
In 2025, ECI continued to strengthen relationships across its client base while opening the door to new collaborations and opportunities. Ongoing work with partners such as Eagle Creek and New Water in Green Bay reflect the trust clients place in ECI to deliver reliable, technically complex solutions.
This year also marked meaningful expansion of ECI’s service capabilities. Building on experience gained during the Lake Elmo West Connection project, ECI increased its micro-tunneling capacity to 84 inches through significant investment in specialized equipment. This expansion allows the team to take on larger, more complex tunneling projects while maintaining the same level of precision and control.
February 2025 marked another major milestone with the completion of ECI’s shop expansion and the move into the new facility. This investment enhances ECI’s ability to perform gate rehabilitation, large-scale fabrication, and equipment maintenance in-house, improving efficiency, quality control, and long-term reliability across projects.
Throughout the year, ECI’s teams continued to lead with dependability, safety, and craftsmanship—core values that guide every partnership and every project.
Industry Leadership & Community Engagement
In 2025, ECI remained actively engaged in advancing the industry while supporting education, workforce development, and knowledge sharing across the engineering and construction community.
ECI and its leadership were featured in multiple industry publications, including Hydro Leader and Municipal Water Leader, highlighting ECI’s work, technical expertise, and approach to complex infrastructure challenges. These features reinforced ECI’s role as a trusted voice in hydroelectric, municipal, and specialty construction markets.
Education and outreach were also key priorities throughout the year. ECI hosted engineering students from Michigan Technological University for an on-site tour at Copper Peak, offering a real-world learning experience at one of the most technically demanding infrastructure projects in North America. Shane McFadden also engaged directly with students through speaking opportunities at institutions such as Iowa State University, helping introduce future engineers to career paths in civil and underground construction.
Industry involvement continued through active participation in professional organizations and events. Shane McFadden led an exclusive project tour of the A-Mill Hydro facility during the NHA Midwest Regional Meeting and was selected to present at the 2025 Midwest NASTT Conference, sharing insights drawn from ECI’s field experience and project work.
Together, these efforts reflect ECI’s commitment to strengthening the industry, investing in the next generation of engineers, and contributing meaningfully to the communities where it operates.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As ECI moves into 2026, the focus remains on delivering high-quality work while continuing to innovate across civil, environmental, hydro-related, and underground construction. Building on the momentum of 2025, the team is positioned to take on more complex projects and expand its impact across multiple markets.
In the coming year, ECI will continue to grow both in volume and in the breadth of its service offerings, with particular emphasis on tunneling, geotechnical operations, and marine work. Planned investments in personnel, training, technology, engineering, equipment, and facilities will support this growth for years into the future.
Industry engagement will also remain a priority in 2026, with continued participation in conferences and technical forums, including presentations at events such as NASTT. These opportunities allow ECI to share field experience, contribute to industry knowledge, and stay connected to evolving best practices.
ECI is grateful for the clients, partners, and team members who made 2025 a successful year and looks forward to continuing this momentum while building on the strong foundation already in place.
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About ECI
ECI is a premier engineering and construction firm specializing in geotechnical construction, water resources infrastructure, hydro/marine construction, specialty construction, and tunnels & shafts. For 25 years, we’ve delivered high-quality, sustainable solutions tailored to our clients’ unique needs. Learn more about our Leadership Team and our Mission, Vision & Values in the About section.