SightLines Q2 2026
In this issue: data center growth moves deeper into the field, infrastructure leaders face new coordination pressures, and AWP Safety CCO Josh Shipman shares why traffic management belongs in every data center’s construction strategy.
What’s Trending: From Demand to Delivery
Demand is moving from planning to active construction – with most capacity being built already committed before delivery.
Sources:
Cleanview Data Centers in the United States
Cushman & Wakefield H2 2025 Americas Data Center Update
Why it matters: When capacity is committed before it comes online, execution risk moves closer to the field — where power access, permitting, site readiness and daily coordination can affect customer delivery.
INSIGHT: Bigger Builds, Bigger Stakes
As planned campuses scale, so does adjacent infrastructure – elevating the need for strong execution to the enterprise level for data center builders and partners.
Source: Cleanview Data Centers in the United States
3 Execution Risks to Watch:
Everyone is competing for the same limited resources.
Data center builds depend on power, fiber, road access, permitting, utility coordination and skilled labor — resources already in high demand across infrastructure.
Your next move: Secure critical partners early and use technology, clear sequencing and experienced field leads to deploy resources where they create the most value.
Small delays can get expensive fast
When capacity is committed before delivery, issues like site access, late deliveries or unclear sequencing can quickly put customer milestones and project economics at risk.
Your next move: Pressure-test the site conditions most likely to slow progress before peak construction hits — so small issues do not become enterprise-level delays.
The build footprint is bigger than the building
A build reaches into access roads, substations, fiber routes, staging areas and nearby communities that can affect cost, schedule and reputation.
Your next move: Treat everything inside, outside and around sites as part of the construction plan from day one, with clear ownership for safety, access and coordination.
Thought Leadership: Traffic Control 101 For Data Centers
Data centers are complex infrastructure ecosystems. Managing movement across them is a critical factor in safety, productivity and schedule certainty.
“Campuses span thousands of acres, with active work taking place across public roads, site entrances, utility corridors, staging areas and internal construction zones. Seen from this perspective, traffic control becomes part of the operating system that helps a complex construction site function safely and predictably.”
– Josh Shipman, AWP Safety Chief Commercial Officer
Partners in Your Future
AWP Safety safeguards one million worksites annually. Customers rely on us to protect their crews, communities and business interests during utility, broadband and road construction projects.
View AWP Safety’s Q2 2026 SightLines Issue as a PDF.
