With more than 30 years of experience in bridge and structural design focused on increasing mobility and elevating safety, Denise Burton, PE, has joined VHB’s expanding Bridge and Structures team in Orlando as Senior Structural Engineer. She will serve as a senior technical lead and mentor, not only to our Florida team but also across VHB’s Bridge and Structures practice.
Denise most recently served as a Senior Structural Engineer in Orlando, where she led high-profile transportation projects throughout Florida with public and private clients, including the design of SR 534 with the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and multiple bridge projects for Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). She has supervised and mentored team members on a range of design and construction projects, including for the SR 429 Wekiva Parkway, involving 12 concrete highway bridges of various types.
Recently, Denise played a pivotal role in the SR 408/Tampa Avenue Improvements, which featured 1,600 feet of curved steel, twin box girders and multiple concrete bridges that increased mobility and connectivity. She also led the final design of several bridges on the HEFT (Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike) widening in Miami and was the senior structural engineer for a heavily skewed, steel plate girder bridge on the SR 417 widening project that improved congestion on a heavily trafficked roadway. Her career also includes significant roles with the City of Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach County.
“Denise joins our Structures practice at a critical time. Florida’s market is exploding, and our expanding team is now more ready than ever to serve our clients and lead successful bridge projects throughout the state,” said Kenneth Ray, PE, Structures Manager. “It goes without saying, but she adds tremendous value to our team and clients.”
At VHB, Denise will provide insight on large-scale projects with public and private clients, including the Bridge Group 4R project in Rhode Island—our largest ever design-build contract.
She received her Bachelors of Science from Columbia University in Civil Engineering and from Providence College in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.