On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Shailen Bhatt as the 21st Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrator.
“From his leadership of the Colorado and Delaware Departments of Transportation to his work in the private sector to his service at FHWA during the Obama Administration, Mr. Bhatt brings a wealth of transportation experience to USDOT,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “His leadership will be a tremendous asset as we continue to implement the largest investment in our nation’s roads, bridges, and highways in a generation, and we are thrilled to have him on our team.”
Bhatt will lead the FHWA as the agency administers more than $350 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This includes formula and competitive grant programs available to various grant recipients.
Bhatt previously served as FHWA associate administrator for Policy and Government Affairs during the Obama Administration, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, cabinet secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation, and Intelligent Transportation Society of America CEO. He most recently served as a senior executive at AECOM.
President Joe Biden nominated Bhatt on July 21. Bhatt is the first person of Indian descent to lead the FHWA and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics from Western Kentucky University.