Strengthens Firm’s Bridge-Related Services
Lancaster, Pa. – RETTEW, an Engineering News-Record top 500 design firm providing engineering, transportation, environmental consulting, planning and surveying services, recently welcomed John M. Fitzsimmons, PE, as the firm’s lead bridge inspector.
“Bridge inspection services are critical for ensuring that Pennsylvania’s 32,000 bridges meet state and federal safety standards,” said Mark Lauriello, PE, president, RETTEW. “John’s capabilities complement RETTEW’s award-winning bridge expertise and further our ability to provide PennDOT, the Turnpike, counties, municipalities and other local bridge owners with services that are vital to ensuring the safety of the commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure.”
As lead bridge inspector within RETTEW’s transportation group, Fitzsimmons oversees the firm’s bridge safety inspection program and serves as team leader for field inspections. Additionally, Fitzsimmons is responsible for training transportation personnel on the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS).
Fitzsimmons has 24 years of experience in structural design and inspection, construction inspection, surveying and computer applications. He has managed several PennDOT open-end bridge safety agreements, inspecting both state- and locally owned bridges, and has conducted numerous immediate-response emergency flood inspections. During his career, he has inspected or managed the inspection of more than 5,000 Pennsylvania bridges in accordance with NBIS standards ranging in size from under 20 feet to more than 3,000 feet in length. Additionally, he is an expert in critical deficiency identification and reporting, load rating analysis and report preparation, including photos, sketches, and recommendations. Fitzsimmons is a PennDOT-certified bridge inspector and has completed the PA CoRe Element Assessment Course, PennDOT’s Bridge Management System 2 (BMS2) iForms Course and the Steel Fatigue Inspection Course. He is also e-RAILSAFE certified.
Fitzsimmons has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Penn State University and is a member of the Association of Bridge Construction and Design, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Highway Engineers. He is a resident of Marysville, Perry County, Pa. and serves as member at large on the board of ministries at Summerdale Alliance Church.
About RETTEW
RETTEW, ranked by Engineering News-Record magazine as one of the top 500 design firms in the U.S., provides engineering, transportation, environmental consulting, planning, surveying and related consulting services to a broad range of clients in the mid-Atlantic region. Beginning in 1969 as a single-person office, today RETTEW has more than 200 employees. Offices are located in Bethlehem, Camp Hill, Chambersburg, Lancaster, and Schuylkill Haven, Pa.; and Liberty and Margaretville, N.Y. For more information on any of RETTEW’s services, please call 1-800-RETTEW-5 or e-mail rettew@rettew.com.
