Robert Talbot, PE, joined Urban Engineers as a senior project manager in the firm’s Hartford, CT office. He has 25 years of experience on civil and highway projects, including more than 15 years of project management for large multidisciplinary projects, including the New Britain-Hartford Busway, Fairfield Metro Center, Bradley International Airport Glycol Recovery System, and the Transformation of the Route 34 Expressway to an Urban Boulevard in New Haven, CT.
A registered Professional Engineer in Connecticut and Maine, Talbot is experienced in all aspects of design, including horizontal and vertical geometry, drainage and hydraulics, maintenance and protection of traffic for major urban projects, utilities, right-of-way, signing, site design, program management, construction management, and preparing final contract plans, cost estimates, and specifications.
Talbot is an active member of his community and serves as a commission member of his local inlands/wetlands watercourse agency. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a proud graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he earned a degree in civil engineering.
We recently sat down for a conversation with Talbot.
Q: What are some of the projects you are most proud of?
RT: The thing I am most proud about with my career is the diversity and magnitude of the projects I was able work on, including the largest program ConnDOT has ever done in the $2 billion program management of the I-95 New Haven Corridor and Q Bridge Replacement. Others projects I’m certainly proud of include the design of a new Terminal A and Glycol Recovery Facility at Bradley International Airport and the New Haven Hartford Springfield 62-mile Amtrak Rail Corridor. Finally, the Fairfield Metro Center, a P3 project with ConnDOT, the Town of Fairfield, and a private developer to construct a new rail station, a 1,500-car commuter parking lot, and the development of a 30-acre brownfield site for one million square feet of mixed-use buildings.
Q: How do you believe your experience will apply to Urban?
RT: I believe my diverse experience and relationships with municipalities and ConnDOT will allow us to pursue multiple types of projects with several different clients.
Q: What is your approach to your assignments?
RT: I strive to produce the highest quality product possible within the agreed upon scope, schedule, and budget, while developing lasting relationships with the parties involved.
Q: Why did you choose Urban?
RT: I chose Urban because there was an opportunity to build a design presence in Connecticut, essentially from the ground up, to complement our successful construction engineering and inspection services. I was impressed with the company overall and thought that the success we have achieved throughout the region could be realized in Connecticut. I welcome the challenge and hope that we are successful.
Q: Any words to live by? Do you have a motto?
RT: If things are too easy, you aren’t challenging yourself enough.