We are pleased to announce the appointment of Abdullah Alnabhan as Hill’s Managing Director for the Middle East. In this role, Abdullah will be responsible for growing our business and maintaining the high quality of our professional services in the region. Abdullah joins Hill with more than 20 years of international experience helping governments and private sector clients develop and implement strategic programming to achieve their long-term objectives. He has been involved in many of the Middle East’s most iconic projects, including strategic initiatives related to Expo 2020 Dubai, Saudi Vision 2030, UAE 2031, and more. 

While working at Hill, Abdullah will also continue to oversee the Middle East business of our GISI Consulting Group sister company Palladium, where he has worked for over 17 years. For the majority of that time, Abdullah has been responsible for leading Palladium’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) team. By forging strong relationships, building an outstanding team, and delivering effective operational oversight, he more than tripled the size of the Palladium’s business in the region. In fact, under Abdullah’s leadership, Consultancy Middle East recently recognized Palladium as one of the region’s top consulting firms.  

Resolving Regional Challenges With Synergy 

Hill Chief Executive Officer Raouf Ghali describes Abdullah’s appointment as synergistic and a key part of ongoing efforts to unify teams across the GISI Consulting Group. “Facilitated by Abdullah’s leadership in the region, Palladium and Hill can offer clients a more comprehensive suite of professional services across advisory and program, project, and construction management disciplines,” he says. “That’s the value of the GISI Consulting Group’s platform.”  

According to Abdullah, comprehensive consultancy is crucial in the Middle East, where increasing populations and government initiatives to achieve sustainable growth through economic diversification are driving a construction boom. In this market, owners face major challenges in planning and executing complex, concurrent projects. “A large number of infrastructure megaprojects taking place across the region limit the availability of specialty resources and materials,” Abdullah explains. “Some projects face logistical and design challenges associated with construction in the region’s hot, sandy deserts. Plus, to meet targets set by ambitious national strategies, many owners are also implementing fast-track construction schedules.”  

For Abdullah, the combined expertise of the teams at Hill and Palladium makes it easier to connect owners with the professional services they require to plan and implement their programs in today’s dynamic construction market. “The challenges our clients face demand interdisciplinary solutions,” he says. “Building cross-company teams and adjusting involvement as client needs change will allow us to deliver innovative solutions that keep our clients’ projects moving forward. Moreover, the depth of technical knowledge at Hill and Palladium, from Hill’s expertise in infrastructure project delivery and risk management to Palladium’s advisory capabilities in capital mobilization and sustainability, positions us as a true consultancy partner for our clients, regardless of where they are in the project life cycle.”  

Leveraging Local & Global Relationships 

In addition to bringing together the expertise of professionals at Hill and Palladium to deliver comprehensive and synergistic consultancy solutions for our clients, Abdullah will leverage the firms’ networks of professional relationships to drive business growth and further develop regional partnerships.  

In addition to Abdullah’s own 20 years of experience in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, he notes Palladium’s and Hill’s existing relationships with clients, partners, stakeholders, and, importantly, staff throughout the region.  

“Both Palladium and Hill have prioritized the cultivation of local talent in the Middle East,” he says. Local expertise is important, Abdullah explains, because it gives our teams insights into conditions on the ground, such as geographical challenges and local labor pools, as well as a deeper understanding and appreciation of our clients’ work across the transportation, water and wastewater, governmental, residential, healthcare, educational, technology, and cultural sectors.  

While local talent is a crucial part of Abdullah’s approach, he also calls attention to the value of the global resources at Hill, Palladium, and the rest of the GISI Consulting Group. “It would be hard to match the talent at Hill and Palladium alone,” he says. “Given the Group’s global expertise across professional services disciplines, combined with our local talent in each of the markets we serve, I believe we have a distinct competitive advantage. This is an especially important differentiator in the Middle East, where project teams are working to overcome resource constraints and deliver some of the world’s most complex infrastructure.”  

The Next Steps 

Over the next few weeks in early 2026, Abdullah will be reviewing capacity and existing systems within Hill and bringing together leaders and departments at Hill and Palladium to develop a long-term, synergistic strategy for the Middle East. “It’s an exciting time,” he says. “With intermodal transit infrastructure like the Saudi Landbridge, deployment of smart-city technologies, investments in aviation infrastructure, green energy projects, data center developments, and other upcoming initiatives in preparation for Expo 2030 in Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA World Cup throughout Saudi Arabia, the governments of the Middle East are making impressive progress on their long-term visions. I’m proud to be a part of the transformation with two great companies, and look forward to working with my colleagues, new and old, to support our clients.”  

Derek Amidon, Chief Executive Officer of the GISI Consulting Group adds: “Abdullah’s proven leadership and experience strengthen Hill’s and Palladium’s Middle East operations as we continue to grow in the region. I am also confident that the appointment will demonstrate the power of cross-company collaboration at the heart of GISI Consulting Group.”  

For more information about Hill International, please visit www.hillintl.com. To learn more about Palladium, visit: https://thepalladiumgroup.com/. 

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To better serve a growing population and keep emergency response times low, the Poulsbo Fire Department recently undertook a project to deliver a new fire station on 19145 Viking Avenue NW in Poulsbo, WA. The new station, Fire Station 76, opened its doors on November 22, 2025.

Station 76 is the Fire Department’s fifth station. It was designed by Carletti Architects and built by TRICO Companies. At 6,700 SF, facility features three apparatus bays, living and support space for up to four on-duty firefighters, offices, and more. Located on the west side of Liberty Bay, Station 76 enhances coverage throughout western Poulsbo, as well as Scandia and Keyport. By reducing reliance on other stations for emergency calls in this area, it also improves reliability and response times for communities throughout Kitsap County.

Hill International served as the Fire Department’s progressive design-build (PDB) advisor from planning through handover. Our team was responsible for managing the Washington State PDB approval process.

According to Hill’s First Vice President and Area Manager for the Pacific Northwest Region Tracy Wiyrick, PDB can provide the flexibility to address site and operational challenges while maintaining cost certainty. “The flexibility comes from early collaboration between owners, designers, and builders, enabling teams to address challenges before construction begins,” she explains. “Helping ensure that the team was making the most of early collaboration opportunities was a crucial part of our role.”

PDB allowed the team to overcome numerous challenges on the Station 76 project. For example, residents and neighbors expressed concerns about protecting a creek running behind the property. So, early in the project, Hill worked with the PDB team and city planners to add a dispersion system to the project scope. By planning and integrating a system to direct stormwater away from the creek, the project team preserved an important natural resource and habitat space while meeting regulatory requirements, confirming community support for the new station, and keeping the project on track to meet the Fire Department’s other goals.

“That sort of problem solving characterized the project,” says Tracy. With PDB, she goes on, the Poulsbo Fire Department’s project team regularly integrated long-term operational needs with stakeholder expectations, budget constraints, schedule objectives, and regulatory requirements to overcome challenges in a timely way and deliver a high-quality facility that enhances the Fire Department’s life-saving emergency services at the best value for taxpayers.

“It makes you proud to work on a facility like this, because it’s easy to see the impact this is going to have on the community,” she concludes.

Learn more about Hill International’s work on PDB and other alternative delivery projects around the world at www.hillintl.com. To speak with Tracy about your own alternative delivery needs, reach out to TracyWiyrick@hillintl.com.

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Managing Risk Across a Dynamic Energy Space

Richard will serve as Senior Vice President, Market Segment Leader – Energy & Environment. He will leverage 35 years of international experience in energy to help grow Hill’s business and implement best practices across our U.S. energy practice. Richard will also help formulate and implement energy and environmental strategy at Hill and across the GISI Consulting Group, working closely with sector leaders at GEI Consultants, Palladium, and beyond.

Having served in a variety of roles throughout his career, from staff scientist to global oil and gas sector lead, Richard has expertise encompassing operations, business development, client management, and practice leadership. Most recently, he managed a national oil and gas practice with nearly $100 million in annual revenue and 300 staff. In this role, Richard was responsible for managing client relationships, building project teams, and making certain his team performance met all owner requirements.

Richard plans to join his expertise with the capabilities of Hill’s energy team to deliver program and project success for new and existing clients in the U.S. energy market. “With 50 years of experience managing work in a variety of market sectors around the world, Hill has unmatched organizational knowledge of exactly what can go wrong on any kind of project,” he says. “That helps us proactively identify and mitigate risk, leading to more reliable cost, schedule, and quality outcomes. Risk management and predictable outcomes are crucial in today’s highly competitive and dynamic energy space. I look forward to working with my colleagues at Hill, as well as across the GISI Consulting Group, to apply our global expertise and deliver our clients’ projects on time and within budget.”

Driving Innovation With an Interdisciplinary Approach

John will work as Vice President, Energy and Utilities. He will help grow Hill’s energy and utilities business and lead our program, project, and construction management operations across these markets. John comes to Hill with more than two decades of experience managing large energy infrastructure programs. He has directed capital program teams of up to 1,500 personnel, helping implement natural gas pipeline and valve modernization programs, electric vehicle charging programs, transmission programs, and most recently, distribution utility undergrounding. He also has operational leadership experience overseeing emergency operations, electrical maintenance shop and protective equipment testing, field personnel training and compliance activities, equipment operation, materials management, and a variety of safety initiatives to increase efficiency, reliability, and safety and improve customer service.

“I appreciate the experience Hill has in project management and program management on large initiatives in a variety of market sectors,” says John. “I’ve seen the value that such experience can add on capital programs and operations.”

According to John, today’s energy and utilities owners are responsible for a huge number of resources with a multitude of functions across increasingly large program and asset portfolios. Limited access to in-house staff in specialty disciplines, such as schedulers, estimators, and project controls professionals, constrains an owner’s ability to manage their projects efficiently. Just as importantly, without high-level program management expertise in house, owners may struggle to align their portfolios with their strategic objectives, stakeholder requirements, market trends, and operational needs.

“With a pool of program managers and experts across project management disciplines, Hill has the expertise to step in and support owners facing resource constraints,” he goes on. “Plus, with Hill’s expertise in a variety of other market sectors, such as aviation, rail and transit, and buildings, we can build interdisciplinary teams that bring new perspectives to familiar responsibilities and functions. That’s how you can realize innovation and achieve your clients’ goals in a better way.”

Growing Our Team for a Project-Rich Environment

As Vice President, David will focus on program management and business development for utilities throughout the country. David comes to Hill with nearly 30 years of experience helping clients manage major electrical utility projects. For much of his career, David worked with Southern California Edison, designing the electrical grid, running the utility’s largest programs, and overseeing project management teams. His more recent utility experience includes eight years of executive leadership.

David sees no shortage of opportunity in today’s electrical utility market and looks forward to helping Hill build upon an energy organization that already wins large programs, exceeds expectations, and delivers on all of its commitments.

“While the replacement and expansion of the grid, which was primarily installed more than 40 years ago, continues to be a top priority, utilities across the country also require updates to accommodate increased renewable energy output and massive commercial superuser load sparked by new data center construction and AI-related industries,” he explains. “New transmission lines, substations, renewable generation sites, distribution lines, bidirectional electrical systems integration, battery storage, and major initiatives to fire harden, underground, and modernize the grid promise a project-rich environment. So, there won’t be any shortage of work. We just need to continue enhancing and positioning our team to capture available opportunities and help owners achieve their objectives.”

Investing in Technologies & Capabilities That Matter

Senior Vice President Juan Pablo (J.P.) Villamizar highlights the increasing influence of technology on the energy and utility markets as a clear rationale for making these investments in Hill’s capabilities. “AI-driven data center growth and continued population expansion are creating unprecedented demand on power systems,” he says. “To help owners stay ahead, Hill is investing in the technologies and capabilities that matter most.”

“As infrastructure becomes more connected, operational risks now span both digital and physical systems. In addition to our energy and utility expertise, our increasing focus on cyber and operational technology security enhances our ability to be trusted advisors and partners that support and protect our clients’ capital investments. So, we’re very pleased to welcome Richard, David, and John to the GISI Consulting Group and to Hill. Their collective expertise, combined with Hill’s resources and relationships, will help energy and utility owners plan and deliver impactful capital programs to expand their networks and keep pace with demand, complete deferred maintenance, increase the useful life of their assets, and continue delivering outstanding customer service. I look forward to collaborating with all three professionals.”

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In the galleries, visitors can learn about the history and culture of the UAE through multimedia installations and immersive exhibits that showcase 1,500 artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. The collection features objects ranging from the earliest evidence of human activity in the region to contemporary photos, medical devices, and handicrafts, placing special emphasis on the life and work of the UAE’s founding father and first president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. A large auditorium lined with Emirati textiles provides space for presentations, films, and other gatherings.

The museum’s architecture combines contemporary design with elements of traditional Emirati culture. Towers shaped like wings capture fresh air at low levels, pass it through buried cooling pipes, and draw it through the galleries using the thermal stack effect. The design creates a sustainable and naturally ventilated environment for visitors.

The new museum is the latest addition to Abu Dhabi’s burgeoning Saadiyat Cultural District, which is home to several world-class cultural institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Berklee Abu Dhabi.

On behalf of the Abu Dhabi Department Of Culture And Tourism, Hill International provided project management and cost consultancy services for the delivery of the museum. Our team coordinated between the many disciplines involved in designing and building the museum, helping ensure alignment with our client’s vision and international best practices for museum projects. Hill was also responsible for developing and monitoring schedules and budgets, implementing quality control, and managing construction activities, including the installation of exhibitions and other furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

“Delivering a project of this scale has been a defining moment for our team in the region,” says President, MENA Region Waleed Abdel-Fattah. “The museum reflects the UAE’s rich heritage and ambition, and we are honored to have played a part in its realization.”

Learn more about the new museum here: https://zayednationalmuseum.ae/en/.

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The project includes the expansion of the Terminal 2 Headhouse, along with the construction of a new pier, Pier D. Prague Airport’s project team will also renovate Pier C and other areas within the terminal, installing state-of-the-art systems to improve operational efficiency and enhance the passenger experience. The expansion is linked to other planned infrastructure improvements at the airport, including a new rail station and upgrades at Terminal 1.

“This expansion is important for the Czech Republic and for Europe as a whole,” says Vice President & Aviation Sector Lead Europe Tamara Fleuti. “It also constitutes a milestone for the regional aviation industry, requiring a remarkably high level of integration across airside and landside functions, new and existing structures, and multiple operating systems. We look forward to applying our expertise to help ensure seamless integration, manage risk, maintain uninterrupted passenger flows, and deliver this transformation safely and successfully.”

The Hill team will provide project management, construction management, site supervision, quality control, LEED certification coordination, project controls, and Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) services to help ensure project delivery in line with Prague Airport’s requirements.

Chief Executive Officer Raouf Ghali says: “With Hill’s deep experience in airport infrastructure development across the continent and the expertise of our local partners at INVIN and Contract Management, our construction management team is ready to support Prague Airport in the delivery of an expanded and enhanced terminal that reinforces Václav Havel Airport Prague’s reputation as the gateway to Central Europe. We are honored to be entrusted with this project, which reflects and facilitates the continued growth of Prague as a major European aviation hub.”

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As of September 2025, construction is approximately 45% complete on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) $600 million Eastridge to BART Regional Connector in East San Jose, California. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the project is extending VTA’s Orange Line 2.4 miles from the existing Alum Rock Light Rail Station to the Eastridge Transit Center via an elevated guideway located primarily in the center of Capitol Expressway. The project will also deliver two power substations and two new stations, including an elevated station at Story Road and an at-grade station located at the Eastridge Transit Center.

The light rail extension is Phase 2 of VTA’s Capitol Expressway Transit Improvement Project. Phase 1 involved sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping improvements along the project corridor to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as the reconstruction of the Eastridge Transit Center to promote user convenience and comfort and accommodate bus rapid transit service. Phase 1 construction concluded in 2015.

“When the Regional Connector is complete, VTA and intercity bus passengers will be able to board light rail at the Eastridge Transit Center and connect with VTA’s entire rail system,” explains Vice President Ray Balallo, PE, who leads Hill International’s construction management team on the project. “This will also connect them to the BART system, and so the whole of the Bay Area, at Milpitas Station. Likewise, light rail passengers will have increased access to locations throughout East San Jose via bus connections at Eastridge.

“By tying together multiple transportation systems, the project drives transit utilization and promotes mobility throughout the region. Increased mobility connects people to job centers and contributes to economic opportunities, while increased transit utilization reduces traffic, which makes our streets safer, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions, supporting regional environmental goals and resident health and wellness.”

Construction Updates & Community Engagement

In addition to Hill, VTA’s project team includes the MCM-Railworks Joint Venture as the prime contractor and several additional consulting firms. MCM brings civil and elevated guideway expertise, while Railworks takes the lead on light rail components. This complementary expertise allows for schedule savings and helps ensure quality throughout construction.

The project team continues to build the elevated guideway structure and prepare mockups prior to the installation of rail on completed sections of the guideway’s concrete deck. Ongoing construction activities include pile driving, concrete footing pours, falsework installation, and more. Because the guideway is located primarily in the center of Capitol Expressway, an arterial roadway and transit corridor, and because the project involves a variety of intensive, 24/7 construction activities taking place simultaneously with heavy equipment and large crews, the project team is also working hard to promote safety for workers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

“Safety is the team’s top priority,” says the project’s Community Engagement Officer Lupita Franco Peimbert. “Especially during the school year, there is heavy car and foot traffic in the area. We have posted plenty of traffic signs alerting drivers to construction activities, detours, lane closures, new traffic patterns, and other restrictions.”

According to Lupita, the team is coordinating with the San Jose Police Department to help ensure drivers comply with the posted signage. “Additionally, crossing guards are present at intersections in the project area, and we’re in contact with local schools to inform parents about construction activities and any traffic impacts,” she adds.

In addition, the project team maintains a regular construction newsletter, posts updates on VTA’s website and social media accounts, sends mailers to residents in the project area, hands out flyers door-to-door, and interfaces with the community through a variety of in-person and virtual forums. Conducted in multiple languages, this outreach helps keep residents and travelers informed about project progress and traffic updates, as well as expected noise, dust, and vibration levels.

Aligning Inputs With VTA’s One-Team Culture

To accomplish a complex transit expansion while delivering accurate communications that reach the right stakeholders at the right time is no easy feat, says Ray. “VTA has built a highly capable project team,” he adds. “However, to prevent cost escalation, schedule slippage, safety incidents, and community dissatisfaction, it is extremely important to keep the inputs of every team member and many project stakeholders in alignment. The key to our success so far has been VTA’s ‘one-team’ culture.”

The one-team culture shapes the team’s approach to a variety of project challenges. It starts with commitment to a shared definition of project success. Then, the project team works towards common goals.

For example, one of the project’s commitments is to minimize community impacts related to noise, dust, and vibrations during construction. The prime contractor leads construction activities in line with best practices for reducing noise, dust, and vibrations, but VTA takes ultimate responsibility for the outcomes. The project team works with the VTA community outreach and public engagement team and communications consultants to provide timely notice to community stakeholders. While construction is underway, noise, dust, and vibration levels are monitored and reported to VTA’s management team. Based on the field reports, the management team can issue updated notices, work with the project team to further reduce levels, and/or coordinate with the community to answer questions and respond to concerns. As VTA’s construction management consultant, Hill is responsible for tracking and reporting on each team member’s inputs throughout the process, giving VTA timely data to facilitate continued team alignment and initiate corrective action as necessary.

“This is how a one-team culture works,” Ray adds. “With our shared definition of project success, we can better collaborate to keep information flowing, coordinate and execute work activities, refine processes, mitigate risk, and keep stakeholders informed. With an atmosphere of partnership and mutual respect, the team is not pointing fingers when challenges arise. Instead, we’re all asking what we can do in service of the project. The Hill team looks forward to working with our partners to maintain this culture and deliver VTA’s transformative project for San Jose.”

To learn more about the Regional Connector and the project’s one-team culture, contact Ray Balallo at RaymundoBalallo@hillintl.com. To learn more about Hill International’s work on rail and transit projects around the world, please visit https://www.hillintl.com/rail-transit-practice/.

Photo credit: VTA’s Eastridge BART Regional Connector Team

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First Vice President, Texas/Southern Operations Robert Ferguson, LEED AP, has completed 20 years at Hill International. For nearly his entire tenure at Hill, Robert has led our program, project, and construction management operations in Texas. Under his leadership, Hill’s Texas/Southern team has achieved strong, consistent growth in the healthcare, education, government, and transportation sectors throughout Texas and beyond.

Robert kicked off his career in construction in 1993, working for contractors in the Houston area. Through a variety of hands-on roles, he developed technical skills in cost, schedule, safety, risk, and contract management, as well as strengths in coordinating with stakeholders and clients and leading effective, collaborative teams on complex construction projects. He also began to develop a thorough understanding of Houston’s construction market and build relationships with local and state agencies, authorities having jurisdiction, and other key stakeholders in the region.

In 2005, Robert earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and joined Boyken International, a project management firm specializing in healthcare and higher education. In his first role with the company, he worked for a year as a project manager on projects across Antigua. Following this assignment, Robert transferred to Cleveland, TN, to manage the construction of a 50,000 SF residential project.

For his expertise, leadership skills, and proven success on his clients’ projects, Robert was promoted to operations manager of Boyken’s Houston office in 2007. It was under Robert’s leadership that Boyken received its first five-year contract with the University of Texas (UT) System. Hill, which acquired Boyken in December 2009, is now on our fourth five-year contract with the UT System, demonstrating Robert’s ability to build and maintain relationships with clients and assemble capable teams that deliver reliable, high-quality professional services.

Following the acquisition, Robert continued to manage Hill’s operations in Texas, overseeing a team of seven employees, including a business development leader and six staff. Hill had two clients in Texas at the time, the UT System and the Houston Methodist System. So, Robert and the Hill team prioritized honing their expertise in managing healthcare and higher education projects, earning a regional reputation for helping owners in these sectors deliver projects safely, on time, within budget, and in line with stakeholder expectations.

Building on the team’s reputation, Robert has since continued to grow Hill’s presence in healthcare and higher education throughout Texas, developing strong relationships with clients such as the Texas State University System and the Texas A&M University System. With the support of Senior Vice President Rail and Transit Sector Lead Tom Spearing, Executive Consultant Mike Smith, and Senior Vice President, Western Region Manager Greg Heinz, Robert played a pivotal role in advancing Hill’s presence in our core market sectors of rail and transit, aviation, roads and bridges, and municipal buildings.

Since our small start in Houston, Hill has expanded across Texas with offices in Dallas and Austin. Soon, we will open our new San Antonio office. The geographic footprint of our Southern Operations also includes Louisiana and Oklahoma. Today, our Southern team manages more than $10 billion in construction value for clients such as Dallas Area Rapid Transit, San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Texas Department of Transportation, Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, and, most recently, Houston Metro.

“Robert has been essential to the growth and success of Hill’s operation in Texas,” says Greg Heinz. “He and his team continue to accomplish impressive things across a variety of market segments, particularly in higher education, rail/transit, and healthcare. I attribute much of his success to his hands-on leadership approach and his genuine care for his Hill colleagues and clients. He represents the best of what we offer as a company, and I’m proud to work with him and to call him a friend.”

“A lot of people have been part of Hil’s success in Texas over the years,” says Robert. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our partners throughout the industry and, of course, our entire hard-working Southern Operations team. For all of us, it’s a point of pride to support Texas’ academic and healthcare systems, state and local agencies, and all of our other clients. By helping these organizations carry out their missions through efficient, well-managed projects, we help them better serve the people of Texas. I’m lucky to be part of a tremendous organization and look forward to many more years of supporting Hill’s continued growth in the region.”

Through Robert’s vision and leadership, as well as the consistent performance and high-quality management services of his entire team, Hill continues to enjoy success and growth across our Southern Region. Congratulations, Robert, and thank you for 20 years of commitment and outstanding service.

To speak with Robert about your program, project, and construction management needs, reach out to him at RobertFerguson@hillintl.com.

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CTE Grozăvești opened in 1912 and is one of the oldest energy facilities in the country. Acting on behalf of ELCEN, Hill will oversee the development of a high-efficiency cogeneration unit at the plant. The new unit will have a capacity of 32.5 megawatts electrical (MWe) and 41 megawatts thermal (MWt). At the CTE Progresu facility in southern Bucharest, Hill will support the delivery of a new high-efficiency cogeneration unit with a capacity of approximately 72.4 MWe and 72.8 MWt.

The projects will modernize Bucharest’s heating and energy infrastructure, increasing efficiency and reliability for customers throughout the city. The projects also incorporate hydrogen-ready technologies that will allow ELCEN to blend natural gas with green hydrogen at the plants, helping reduce carbon emissions.

“These modernization projects are prestigious additions to Hill’s portfolio in Romania,” says Vice President and Managing Director Balkans Ioannis Kirkinezis. “As owner’s engineer, we look forward to providing project management and technical oversight to help ensure that the project team delivers each stage of implementation in accordance with ELCEN’s expectations.”

“Romania’s efforts to modernize its energy and heating systems represent a major step towards sustainable power generation,” adds Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Europe Manolis Sigalas. “The energy transition is here, but it requires commitment, technical expertise, and strategic foresight. Hill International has experience managing complex industrial and energy programs across Europe. Our teams leverage that experience to help our clients deliver infrastructure for a cleaner future on time and within budget.”

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In August 2025, you were recognized by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) with their Engineers’ Excellence Award – 2023 (Engineering Policy, Regulations and Advocacy). What does this award mean for you?

I believe that this award validates the work I’ve done over the years in engineering, shaping regulatory frameworks, promoting ethical standards, and bridging the gap between policy and implementation. What makes this recognition more significant is that it highlights my role as a woman leading projects of national importance in a sector that has traditionally been male dominated.

On a more personal level, it’s been a moment for reflection and gratitude. I would not be receiving this recognition without the collective effort of teams I have been fortunate enough to lead and be part of, or the generosity of those who offered their guidance and support along the way. The award inspires me to continue working with integrity and purpose.

The PEC’s Engineers’ Excellence Awards recognize the “efforts and outstanding contributions” made by engineering professionals in their field. What are some of the efforts and outstanding contributions that the PEC is recognizing with your award?

Throughout my career and often as the only woman engineer on site, I have contributed to the successful planning and execution of technically complex megaprojects, including dams, motorways, grid stations, and high-end luxury residential developments. My focus on efficient dispute resolution has helped prevent delays, cost overruns, and waste on multiple projects, promoting long-term project viability and resource efficiency.

I have applied a combination of civil engineering and legal knowledge to bring innovative solutions to the construction industry, particularly in the areas of construction law and arbitration. I have also played a role in strengthening dialogue between engineering professionals and regulatory bodies, helping ensure that policy evolves in line with conditions on the ground.

In addition, I have shared my knowledge and experience through webinars and professional engagements, including collaborations with globally recognized bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). These platforms allowed me to promote professional development, legal literacy in construction, and international best practices to enhance professional standards across the engineering sector in Pakistan.

As Hill’s country manager for Pakistan, what is your perspective on the region’s construction markets? Where do you see opportunities for our continued growth?

With needs in energy, transportation, water resources, and urban development, Pakistan has high potential for growth. As public and private entities work to meet these needs with climate-resilient urban planning and smart infrastructure projects, they will require trusted project management partners that offer technical expertise of the highest global caliber, as well as a deep understanding of local context. Hill is uniquely qualified to fill that role.

We have built a solid reputation in Pakistan because of our expertise in program and project management, risk mitigation, and claims resolution. Our professionalism and integrity have earned us the trust of many public and private stakeholders in the country. By participating in various professional and regulatory forums, we’ve also enhanced our visibility, solidified our relationship with the region’s key professional organizations, and affirmed Hill’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development goals.

What are some of the key challenges and risks that our clients face in Pakistan today? What tools does Hill have to help clients overcome these challenges and mitigate these risks? 

Owners in Pakistan face challenges related to regulatory delays and evolving compliance requirements, funding constraints, cost overruns and schedule slippage, and limited access to qualified project management expertise.

Hill can add significant value in each of these areas. Our professionals take a proactive risk management approach, identifying and mitigating cost and schedule risks early in project planning. We also work with our clients to customize transparent project controls. With regular reporting and user-friendly reports, we provide owners with actionable and timely data on their projects’ schedule, budget, and quality performance. We also apply international best practices and standards to our work. By aligning those practices and standards with local regulations, we help ensure high-quality project management and high-quality projects.

I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to implement these tools and help owners overcome challenges, mitigate risk, and deliver smart, sustainable infrastructure across the country.

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Spotlighting Steel

In June, PennDOT’s team installed the project’s first set of steel beams over I-95. The 80 beams stretch east from Front Street across I-95’s southbound lanes to a new pier in the highway’s median. Specialized two-part trailers carried these oversized beams one at a time from their manufacturer in Lancaster, PA, more than 70 miles to the project site on I-95. There, using cranes that have towered over Penn’s Landing throughout the summer, the contractor, Buckley & Company, Inc., lifted the beams into place during five weeks of overnight road closures.

“Erecting 80 steel beams as quickly as the contractor did is a logistically challenging activity,” says Senior Project Manager Frank Bonito, who is leading Hill International’s construction management team on the CAP project. “Even though the beams are being manufactured relatively close to the city, they have long lead times, as well as specialized transportation and staging requirements. Their installation also required overnight road closures of I-95 to bring the beams in quickly, pick up the beams by crane, secure them in place, and then make everything safe for the reopening of the highway for morning traffic. However, PennDOT, Buckley, and the whole team have done a great job keeping the work on track. Installing the first set as planned is a testament to that.”

Next year, Frank says, Buckley will hoist two additional sets of beams into place. The first will traverse I-95’s northbound lanes to another pier between Columbus Boulevard and I-95, currently under construction, and the second will cross Columbus Boulevard to a new abutment, for which preliminary siteworks are underway. After all the steel is in place, concrete pours will complete the CAP project’s deck structure and allow park construction to proceed.

Other Key Developments

While the installation of the first set of steel beams represents a crucial milestone for the CAP project, PennDOT’s project team has also been working on less-visible scope items to keep the infrastructure project moving forward and limit disruptions to commuters, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as the area’s business and residents.

Safety First

With the first set of beams in place, the team installed wooden shielding to protect drivers from falling debris. Temporary fencing, barricades, and signage clearly mark new bike lanes and pedestrian pathways, as well as new traffic patterns along Columbus Boulevard and I-95. Fencing also helps secure the work sites. In addition to scheduling road closures from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays to limit traffic disruptions, PennDOT continues to share regular updates about highway lane closures to keep the public informed.

Deep Foundations

Passersby might miss some of the other large-scale works taking place on site. For example, PennDOT’s team is drilling holes approximately 6 feet in diameter and up to 150 feet deep for the installation of caissons between I-95 and Columbus Boulevard. Comprising steel casings filled with reinforcing steel bars and filled with concrete, these caissons will serve as foundations for another pier to support the CAP’s deck structure. Working closely with the design consultant, Pennoni, the project team is performing tests to gauge pressure, compression, and other geotechnical conditions at depth before installing the rebar frames and pouring the concrete.

A Lightweight Solution

The team is also executing siteworks in preparation for a new U-shaped embankment on the riverfront. At the rounded side of the U, a new abutment will receive the steel beams on the east side of Columbus Boulevard. From the abutment, the embankment will slope down to the river. Concrete retaining walls with pile foundations are currently in place on the northern and southern boundaries of the embankment. The outward-facing sides of the abutment and southern retaining wall also include a distressed, bleached wood design feature appropriate for the park’s riverfront location adjacent to Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum.

For embankment fill, the project team is using foam glass aggregate, the same material PennDOT used during the emergency reconstruction of a collapsed section of I-95 in 2023. While more expensive than other fill options, the material is lightweight. “Working along the river, you want to avoid overloading the existing soils,” Frank explains. “Other types of fill would have been prohibitively heavy and could cause settlement issues. Given that, the foam glass mound is the cost-effective option.”

Frank adds that the gritty foam glass interlocks as it is placed, providing additional site stabilization. Despite the material’s light weight and high stability, the amount of fill will make the embankment very heavy. So, before the foam glass is in place, the project team will preload the site and monitor it for several months while measuring any settlement.

Office Work

A few blocks to the south, near the project team’s field office, Buckley has already installed piers that will hold up the new South Street Pedestrian Bridge and has established plans for laying down and hoisting the bridge structure into place.

Also at the field office site, manufacturers are setting up mockups of project features for review, such as the fencing to go around the sides of the park. This gives the project team an opportunity to review the product and comment on specifications and quality. Once approved, the mockups give inspectors reference points when they review work installations.

Trending Towards Success

“Project success comes down to managing each scope item, whether that’s the installation of steel beams or the installation of fencing around a small work area,” says Frank. “Each item, no matter how small, requires logistical planning, scheduling, cost tracking, quality control, and dedicated staff. We also have to coordinate with neighbors, the public, local authorities, and other project stakeholders. Managing these interfaces is one of Hill’s key responsibilities on the project.”

In addition to regular outreach to keep drivers aware of road and lane closures, PennDOT and Hill coordinate with utility companies that own assets in the project area; business owners and residents on Front Street and Columbus Boulevard; the Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad (PBL), owner of the active rail line in the middle of Columbus Boulevard; construction crews working on the adjacent Market Street Old City improvement project; the Delaware River Waterfront Commission (DRWC), the nonprofit responsible for stewardship of the waterfront and various waterfront attractions, such as Spruce Street Harbor Park, Independence Blue Cross RiverRink, and, when complete, the Park at Penn’s Landing; and even the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps as the organizations plan parades and other festivities along the Delaware River to celebrate their 250^th birthdays.

“Each stakeholder has different needs,” Frank goes on. “For the businesses, we’re providing signage to make sure people know that parking is still available. There isn’t too much overlap with the project on Market Street, but when either team has equipment coming in or is dropping off materials, we’ll get in contact and make sure there’s enough space for both of us to operate. With the Navy and the Marines, we’re going to clear enough space for guests to safely walk along the esplanade and enjoy the naval parade.”

With their proactive coordination approach, PennDOT’s team can make sure stakeholders are up to date, manage expectations, field concerns, and prevent conflicts. This helps keep the project trending towards success.

Coming Soon

Many of the CAP project’s most exciting features are still on the way. Once the deck is complete, PennDOT’s and the DRWC’s teams will be able to start creating the Park at Penn’s Landing. In addition to flexible green spaces filled with trees, gardens, and lawns, the park will feature a mass-timber pavilion with a café, playground equipment, fountains and a water play area, an amphitheater and stage, interconnected pathways, a variety of seating options, and more. The Irish and Scottish Memorials will also return from their temporary location at Foglietta Park—prior to the I-95 CAP project, the bronze statues were located at the intersection of Front and Chestnut Streets. In addition, the DRWC plans to relocate the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink ice rink from its current location north of the CAP project site to the new park.

PennDOT is collaborating with the DRWC on lighting and security strategies to help ensure safety and comfort for parkgoers. Sturdy, lighted fencing around the park’s perimeter will also contribute to park safety.

Beneath the park, PennDOT will fill the new Columbus Boulevard tunnel with lights and other design features to promote safety and comfort for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. The team will also install an elevator and staircase along the southern retaining wall so that pedestrians can easily access the park from Walnut Plaza and Columbus Boulevard.

Also along the southern retaining wall, PennDOT will rebuild the walkway connecting Columbus Boulevard to the esplanade, the Independence Seaport Museum, and the RiverLink Ferry, which provides convenient access to attractions along the Camden, NJ, waterfront.

Other planned roadway reconfigurations include the extension of Chestnut Street and the reconstruction of several concrete segments of the Market Street loop bridge. This will allow motorists and bicyclists headed east on Chestnut to travel over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard alongside the park and loop onto Market Street’s westbound lanes. The bridge structure’s northernmost steel spans are specially designed to receive automobile traffic. PennDOT also plans minor adjustments on the streets surrounding the park, encompassing pavement reconstruction, weeding, drainage improvements, and more as needed.

The Big Picture

As early as 2030, the I-95 CAP project will deliver a new park in one of the city’s most scenic neighborhoods, allowing Philadelphians and visitors to come together and enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in a safe, comfortable public space. However, PennDOT’s project will deliver much more than a park. The Park at Penn’s Landing will expand upon and deepen the city’s connection to existing public, commercial, and residential spaces all along the Delaware River. The project is also an impetus for continued investment and development throughout Penn’s Landing. Indeed, at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project in September 2023, former Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney forecasted a $1.6 billion return on investment over the next 25 years.

“Highway cap structures are a great solution for reclaiming urban spaces for public use without reducing our roadway capacity,” Frank concludes. “They can reconnect communities divided by highways and promote public health by incentivizing walking and biking. They can provide additional space for concerts, sports, and other important community events. Especially when the surface is used as green space, highway caps can restore habitat for native species and reduce the urban heat island effect. They can spur economic development. With the I-95 CAP project, PennDOT is demonstrating how state transportation agencies can lead the way and improve the quality of life in our cities.”

Frank Bonito can be reached at FrankBonito@hillintl.com. To learn more about Hill International’s involvement on the I-95 CAP project, please visit: https://www.hillintl.com/project/i-95-central-access-philadelphia-project/.

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