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This weekly bulletin contains the latest news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements.

Caltrans announced Friday that Sri Balasubramanian would be the Chief of the Office of Asphalt Pavement, The headquarters office is part of the Division of Maintenance. He will be taking over for Peter Vacura, who is on a temporary assignment in design.

 

"It's my pleasure to announce Sri Balasubramanian as the Chief of the Office of Asphalt Pavement," said Caltrans Maintenance Division Chief Tony Tavares in an internal e-mail sent Friday.

 

Balasubramanian began his career with Caltrans in 1991 in District 9,

Sri Balasubramanian

which covers Mono and Inyo counties in the eastern-central part of California. While in District 9 he served in various divisions including surveys, design, project management, and construction.  In 2002 Balasubramanian came to Caltrans headquarters in Sacramento as a liaison in the Division of Maintenance.

 

He became program manager for the 2005 ITS World Congress from 2004 to 2005, and ran the Office of Emergency Management  from 2005 to 2007. He served as the Chief of Staff to Director Will Kempton and Director Randy Iwasaki from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, he was appointed Chief of the Division of Equipment.  He has recently been on a special assignment with the Caltrans Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Infrastructure Program.

 

"I'm really excited about working with the asphalt pavement industry," Balasubramanian told Asphalt Insider. "I started my state career 23 years ago as an inspector on a pavement job. Quality pavement is a crucial part of improving mobility in California. I strongly believe that."

 

He said he was looking forward to "seeing how I can partner with the industry to make sure our highways are smooth and safe."

 

Balasubramanian has a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, irginia, and a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania

Rick Land

University, Hyderabad, India. He is registered as a civil engineer in the state of California.

 

His first official day on the job will be today (March 3).

 

In other Caltrans leadership news, Chief Deputy Director Rick Land announced that he was retiring from the department. The highly respected Land postponed his retirement last year to take on a special assignment to help guide the final phase of construction of the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

 

Prior to becoming the chief deputy director in 2011 -- the department's No. 2 executive position -- he served as the Caltrans chief engineer and the chief bridge engineer. Click HERE to read his

Carrie Bowen

official biography.

 

Caltrans also announced that Caltrans District 7 Director Carrie Bowen, who has been serving in an acting capacity as head of the regional district since August of 2013, is now in the job permanently.

 

District 7 covers Los Angeles and Ventura counties and includes some of the busiest freeways in the nation. Prior to coming to District 7, she served as district director for Caltrans District 10, which is based in Stockton. Click HERE to read her official biography.

 

CalAPA's Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference, set to take place April 9-10 in Ontario, will feature a presentation on how to effectively measure environmental sustainability in pavement production and placement.

  

The topic will explored in depth by Heather Dylla, Ph.D., Director of

Heather Dylla

Sustainable Engineering for the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA).

  

Also added to the program is an optional materials lab tour and demonstration of the Hamburg Wheel Track and Gyratory Compactor tests that will be part of the new Caltrans asphalt pavement specifications. The tour is being hosted by CalAPA member RMA Group, Inc. at their facility in Rancho Cucamonga.

  

Also new this year: a gala reception and Equipment Expo, featuring the latest in construction equipment for the 2014 paving season in California.

  

Early-bird tickets for the conference are just $119 for CalAPA members and agency/academia representatives, and $139 for all others. Click HERE for details or to register. Pre-registration is required, and must be completed on-line. To view a flier and timed agenda for the two-day conference click HERE.

  

The keynote speaker this year will be Caltrans Deputy Director for Maintenance & Operations Steve Takigawa. He'll talk about the state of state highway funding and provide highlights from the Caltrans pavement program.

   

For sponsor and exhibitor questions, please contact Sophie You of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044. Sponsor and exhibitor forms and instructions may be downloaded from the event website.

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We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news and events in California that may impact the asphalt pavement industry. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.