Steep Slope Drilling in North Dakota

Steep Slope Drilling in North Dakota

Spider Excavators reach Badlands butte faces and lignite-altered clinker escarpments across North Dakota.

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Spider excavator on steep terrain transmission line project

When Conventional Equipment Cannot Reach the Site

Badlands clinker and bentonitic clay along corridors like I-94, US-85, and Theodore Roosevelt NP create slopes where conventional drill rigs cannot operate. Access Limited eliminates that constraint with Spider Excavators and rope-access crews.

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Steep Terrain Project?

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Steep Slope Drilling Capabilities in North Dakota

Access Limited navigates North Dakota most challenging terrain with Spider Excavators and rope-access certified drilling crews — installing anchors, bolts, nails, and barrier foundations on slopes where conventional drill rigs cannot operate along corridors like I-94, US-85, and Theodore Roosevelt NP.

Spider Excavator Drilling

Spider Excavators walk on slopes exceeding 60 degrees — reaching work faces that would require road construction for any conventional rig. Access Limited operates the largest Spider Excavator fleet in North America.

Ropework Drilling

Rope-access certified drilling crews work on vertical and near-vertical faces across North Dakota — drilling precise anchor patterns where no machine can be positioned.

Difficult Access Drilling

When the site is in a steep canyon or behind terrain that eliminates conventional access, difficult access drilling bridges the gap.

Remote Access Drilling

Some North Dakota sites are hours from the nearest road. Remote access drilling deploys self-sufficient crews that traverse the terrain.

Purpose-Built Drill Rigs

Access Limited operates purpose-built limited access drill rigs fabricated for steep slope and confined conditions.

Steep slope drilling supports rockfall mitigation, slope stabilization, shoring, and ground improvement across North Dakota.

How Access Limited Reaches Difficult Terrain

Every steep slope project starts with access assessment.

Step 1

Access Assessment

Engineers evaluate terrain, slope angle, and access constraints to select the right equipment.

Step 2

Drilling Plan

Hole locations, depths, angles, and equipment configuration are determined by the site.

Step 3

Spider Excavator Deployment

Spider Excavators walk to the work face — no access road required.

Step 4

Drilling Execution

Anchors, bolts, nails, and foundations installed to specification on the steep face.

Verification

Completed drilling verified against design specifications before handoff.

Verification

Completed drilling verified against design specifications before handoff.

Spider excavator performing boulder breaking on steep slope

Why North Dakota Chooses Access Limited

  • Largest Spider Excavator Fleet — Immediate availability, no rental delays.
  • Rope-Access Certified Crews — Vertical face drilling by trained technicians.
  • No Access Road Required — Spider Excavators walk from staging to the work face.
  • Every Application — Rockfall anchors, slope nails, shoring tiebacks, and micropiles on steep terrain across North Dakota.

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Client Reviews

See why NDDOT, NPS, and oil/gas operators trust Access Limited for steep slope drilling in North Dakota.

Roadway Work Crew Recognized by Passerby

“[I have] never seen every person on a job on a roadway in the past 20 years all sweating and earning their pay check” like they were.

Reliable Project Support in South Dakota

Cameron, I’m glad you followed up because I don’t do a good job of telling people they did a good job sometimes and I know you’re like me if you hear nothing bad then it must have been OK. From my standpoint, you guys really helped us out by being able to get a crew here quickly which is just what we needed. As for the crew they were fantastic, pretty hands off on my end, didn’t require much of my time and did everything they said they were going to do when they said they were going to do it. Which believe me is very refreshing. So, thank you guys for all your help and I do look forward to an opportunity to work with you again.

Successful Project Support in British Columbia, Canada

Hi Graeme, I apologize for taking so long to respond; it is a credit to the smoothness of this project that I was able to shift my focus onto other ones. When asked by a colleague how this project went, I responded "that so last week". Seriously though, I want to sincerely thank you and your crew for their great efforts and patience getting this going and completed safely and successfully. A senior manager reviewing the photos also noted how tidy and well organized the site looked. Thanks also for accommodating all our site visits and heli close-ups.

Discuss Your North Dakota Project

Access Limited provides Spider Excavators and rope-access crews reach every steep slope across North Dakota.

Call 805.727.4310

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