RICHMOND — Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner Stephen C. Brich announced that Barton A. Thrasher has been selected as the agency’s new chief engineer.
Thrasher brings over 25 years of transportation expertise, including experience from previous roles as VDOT’s statewide location and design engineer and the Richmond District engineer.
Since joining VDOT as a transportation engineer trainee in 1997, he has served in multiple leadership positions in both the public and private sectors.
As state location and design engineer, Thrasher was responsible for statewide project management and preconstruction activities of VDOT’s $2 billion construction program.
As Richmond District engineer, Thrasher led a complex transportation program resulting in the successful completion of multiple projects.
These projects include the GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit project in Richmond, the I-95 Temple Avenue interchange improvements project and roundabout in the City of Colonial Heights, the Lewistown bridge replacement project over I-95 in Hanover County, as well as continued progress on the I-64 widening project in Henrico and New Kent counties.
“Bart’s decades of solid technical expertise coupled with steadfast, results-driven leadership will serve him and the Commonwealth well in his new role,” said Commissioner Brich. “With Bart at the helm of our engineering programs, VDOT is well-positioned to continue our forward momentum, especially as the transportation industry navigates critical inflection points and new opportunities in technology.”
Thrasher will provide strategic oversight to key, significant programs across the Commonwealth’s 124,000 lane-mile network, including location and design, construction, materials, structure and bridge, transportation planning and alternate project delivery.
A licensed professional engineer, Thrasher holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology and a master’s degree in business administration from Old Dominion University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Emory and Henry College. He is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ National Transportation Management Institute.
Effective July 10, Thrasher will assume his new role as chief engineer.
Garrett W. Moore, who plans to retire from VDOT in the fall, will work closely with the team and serve as a special assistant in the commissioner’s office.
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