There are two ways to do that. Cutting the road and then patching the asphalt is cheaper so that&#x27;s what companies want to do. It&#x27;s impossible to do that without leaving a bump, however, so it&#x27;s an externality imposed on all drivers for the useful life of the highway. When it makes commercial sense to do so, companies can be required to drill horizontally under the road. When they came through my neighborhood with some fiber optic lines last year, that&#x27;s what they did. When (the company claims) that doesn&#x27;t make commercial sense, regulators have a choice whether to allow the asphalt cut or not. In most cases I wouldn&#x27;t fault regulators who protect the road.