Any concrete project, just like any type of project in the world, can be delayed by just about anything. We know that sounds rough and almost like an uncommitted response to issues that come up, it’s just the way it works. Everything from weather to labor disputes to unexpected issues pop up causing concrete project delays.

A small project in Oklahoma is seeing delays. The project, taking place on State Highway 20/Patti Page Boulevard, is being delayed after construction workers accidentally spliced an underground telephone wire. While most construction projects that deal with working above wires mark them and stay clear, sometimes you hit something too deep you can’t see it when marking to begin with, which is what appears to have happened in this case.

When driving into the ground, a piece of rebar hit the casing of an AT&T phone line. In order to repair it, sections of pre-laid concrete had to be removed completely so that the phone line could be repaired by AT&T. While the repairs occurred, the rest of the project was delayed by a few days. Once finished, work will start again to repair the project just about on schedule.

As you can see, any type of delay can cause damage to any sort of concrete project. However, concrete projects can be delayed for a variety of reasons. Hitting underground wires is more common than you think, even when it comes to marking them in advance. Not all science when it comes to marking cables and wires underground is foolproof. Sometimes, if wires are deep, scans and techniques miss them, where the above incident took place.

If you’re planning a concrete project, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a contractor, you have to be aware of delays. This is why careful planning has to be part of any project you plan, concrete or otherwise. When planning for delays, you can do your best to plan to deal with them as they occur.