Walter Burke has been named resident engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Fredericksburg Residency.
Burke will lead highway maintenance and operations, land use, and emergency response for more than 4,760 miles of state-maintained roads in the counties of Caroline, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. He will lead more than 120 employees and serve as the primary local government liaison for all VDOT programs.
Burke previously served as the assistant residency administrator for VDOT’s Fairfax Residency, where he oversaw routine and emergency maintenance operations, as well as snow removal efforts, across more than 7,600 lane miles of roadway in Fairfax County.
“Walter’s experience successfully leading urban, suburban, and rural road projects is the perfect fit for the Fredericksburg area, where we have diverse needs across our transportation network and a rapidly growing region along Interstate 95,” said Greg Henion, VDOT Fredericksburg District engineer.
Burke started his VDOT career in 2017 at an area headquarters in Rappahannock County, operating heavy equipment and performing field maintenance activities. He continued to work at VDOT while attending college, first as a summer intern, and then as a civil engineering scholar. He was selected for VDOT’s Engineering Development Growth Experience (EDGE) program, which exposes recent college graduates to assignments in multiple disciplines over a two-year rotation period, including construction, environmental, hydraulics, road design, and traffic engineering. After completing the EDGE program, Burke was a project engineer for VDOT’s Warrenton Residency, where he coordinated with local governments in Culpeper, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties to accomplish projects on lower-volume secondary roads.
“I value working at the residency because our efforts have a direct and visible impact on the communities we serve,” Burke said. “We are responsible for maintaining and improving the roadways that residents and businesses rely on every day. In this new role, I look forward to engaging with residents and travelers throughout the Fredericksburg region, as well as collaborating with local government partners and emergency responders, to better understand their transportation priorities and how VDOT can help advance safe, efficient, and reliable travel.”
Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and infrastructure engineering from George Mason University. He holds a professional engineer’s license in Virginia.
