Shailen Bhatt has stepped down as head of the Federal Highway Administration this week (ends September 13) after just under two years in the position, and has announced he is taking on a new role at AtkinsRéalis.
Bhatt has served as Administrator of the FHWA since January 2023. FHWA Deputy Administrator Kristin White will lead the agency in an acting capacity after his departure.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the 21st Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. I have always said that a transportation agency exists to save lives and to make people lives better,” said Bhatt in a statement. “The work of our team has been to advance projects and policies that achieve these goals. The men and women of FHWA have worked tirelessly and our nation is better for their efforts.
“I want to thank all of our partners at the US Department of Transportation. To serve during this time, with a President and Secretary who have been such impactful leaders, is an immense privilege. I look forward to seeing the multitude of projects that will transform our country for decades to come.”
“We always say that safety is our number one priority. I will continue to work hard for our shared goal of zero deaths on our roadways. I am confident that we can get there.”
In his time at the FHWA, Bhatt has overseen the ongoing distribution of more than $350 billion for roads and bridges from the 2021 bipartisan federal infrastructure bill and its formula-based and competitive grant programs. Including $5 billion to build out a national electric vehicle charging network.
Bhatt previously served as deputy director for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and later headed the Delaware and Colorado Departments of Transportation. He also previously served as FHWA’s associate administrator for highway policy and external affairs.
President Joe Biden nominated Bhatt for the Federal Highway Administration in 2022 after Bhatt did a stint in the private sector as an executive and the infrastructure engineering giant AECOM.
Last month, Bhatt unveiled the agency’s plans to deploy V2X technology across the country by 2036. “I am unaware of a more significant technology deployment that we can do, other than V2X, right now, that can help save lives and make people’s lives better,” said Bhatt at the event.
Current FHWA Deputy Administrator Kristin White will lead the agency in an acting capacity following Bhatt’s departure. White was named FHWA’s deputy administrator in May. Before that, she became the agency’s chief counsel in 2023.
