Chris Tunner has been providing inspection services on highway and bridge construction with Raba Kistner’s Infrastructure team for 14 years. He is currently working in Dallas on the Texas Southern Gateway project, a $666 million design-build construction project by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), aimed to rebuild and widen Interstate 35E south of downtown Dallas.
What does your typical work day look like?
At the beginning of each day I review the project plan for the day so I have a good sense for what will unfold. I spend the day inspecting and overseeing inspecting activities to ensure compliance with project plans and specifications. Communication is big part of my job. I communicate with the personnel on the project, the job foreman and the engineers. If I observe something on the job that I want clarification on, I follow up with top-notch professional engineers on the project to get their help.
What do you like most about working at Raba Kistner?
My co-workers. They feel like a family. You are never working alone and we help each other.
What is your proudest moment working at Raba Kistner?
It’s hard to distill 14 years into one moment. But if I have to pick one, it would be the opportunity I had to work on the Horseshoe Project in Dallas. This highway and bridge project is providing an ongoing positive impact for thousands of people.
[Editor’s Note: The Horseshoe Project was a $798 million highway project that upgraded the congested Mix Master interchange in downtown Dallas, connecting Interstate 35 E and Interstate 30. It won several engineering awards, including the Design-Build Institute of America’s 2017 National Award of Merit in Transportation, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Texas’s 2018 Engineer Excellence Award gold medal for transportation, and the 2018 ACEC National Engineering Excellence Honor Award.]
What are three words you’d use to describe Raba Kistner?
Quality, Professionalism, Supportive
Where is your hometown?
I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but I’d consider Houston my home town since I’ve lived there for years, on several occasions. It’s the place I keep coming home to.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy riding my Harley-Davidson 2004 Dyna Low Rider motorcycle with my neighbors. We like to get together on the weekends for a ride and then enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner together on the road. I’ve been riding with this group for 3 years.
What super power would you like to have?
Super Memory! It would be a great help to myself to retain all the knowledge I’ve gained.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, that you’ve never been to, where would you go?
I’d head to Europe for the ancient and medieval history and the culture.