Stearns Road Bridge

Kane County’s very own Carl Schoedel has won a national award for engineering achievement.

Schoedel, the county’s director of transportation and county engineer, received the National Association of County Engineers Urban County Engineer of the Year award at the NACE national convention held April 22-26 in the Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

The prestigious award recognizes the application of efficient engineering management principles and standards for the economic design, construction, maintenance and operation of public works facilities, in counties with a population greater than 100,000.

Carl Schoedel (left) and Tom Klasner

Illinois made a sweep of the awards this year, as NACE named Jersey County Engineer Tom Klasner as winner of the Rural County Engineer of the Year award.

“Carl has been a leader among the County Engineers of Illinois since his initial appointment in 2003, serving as the chairman of our Legislative Committee, a past board member and past president of our Illinois Association,” said David Marth, president of the Illinois Association of County Engineers.

“He has demonstrated efficient engineering management principles and standards for the economic design, construction, maintenance and operation of public works facilities, resulting in increased capacity and safety and a greatly enhanced environment.”

This isn’t the first award Schoedel has received in recent years. His other awards include:

• 2011 American Public Works Association-Chicago Metro “Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year”
• 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers-Illinois “Government Civil Engineer of the Year”
• 2015 American Public Works Association — National Award for Community Involvement

Schoedel is also a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, president of the Transportation Officials Division of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

In Kane County, he oversees a significant capital improvement program in a high-growth metropolitan area, awarding more than $315 million in construction contracts since his appointment as county engineer.

Most notably, he oversaw the implementation of the nationally recognized Stearns Road Bridge corridor, a $160 million High Priority Project, which was awarded the 2012 National ARTBA-TDF Globe Award for Sustainability and the 2011 ACEC-Illinois Chapter “Eminent Conceptor” Award.

Schoedel is presentlyoverseeing a second regionally significant project: the $115 million, 5.6 mile Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor.

SOURCE: KDOT news release