Insights What does a highway engineer do and what does their career path look like?
Any major road or highway construction involves a variety of transport professionals, including highway engineers, highway designers, water resources engineers, transport planners, environmental planners, and many more experienced personnel.
The role of a highway engineer in construction projects is focused on the concept and feasibility of the design, meaning the duties and responsibilities are diverse and there is a great opportunity to develop a broad skillset. A highway engineer job is suited to anyone who is passionate about working in the building and construction industry and wants to develop their analytical thinking and design skills.
Read on for the day-to-day duties of a highway engineer and what the typical career path looks like.
How to become a highway engineer
A highway engineer job is a road to a rewarding career working on multi-disciplinary engineering projects. There are two traditional routes to become a highway engineer: one is to apply for an apprenticeship at an engineering company and the second is to gain a B.S. or M.S. in Engineering and then have the chance to enrol on a Graduate Programme. Both career paths are a great opportunity to work alongside talented professionals, develop expertise and gain exposure to an exciting range of projects.
A highway engineer’s CV will show evidence of skills in technical writing, computing and communication and often experience using computer software such as AutoCAD and OpenRoads. Over time, as these skills are honed, there’s the option to progress to a senior highway engineer where responsibilities include overseeing the personnel working on the project and preparing job budgets and schedules.
A highway engineer’s duties and responsibilities
The role of a highway engineer is to oversee the costing, estimating, planning and implementation of a project. This makes highway engineering a diverse and rewarding career, with day-to-day duties ranging from undertaking site surveys to preparing design specifications, organising deliverable packages and much more.
A highway engineer job will involve liaising with other transport professionals around the globe with some of the largest projects taking place across the United States, Europe, Canada and India. Read about how Atkins – a member of the AtkinsRéalis Group – involved their India team in the history-altering A14 road project in the UK.
How technology is changing the role
It’s an exciting new era for the UK’s highways sector. Digital tools and data are being used to make better design choices and drive efficiencies through developing digital asset management techniques. As a result, the industry is delivering intelligent infrastructure solutions that enable better investment, operation and maintenance decisions.
The importance of highway engineering
When planning and constructing a highway or road, many factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the impact on the local road network, a potential surge in traffic and new access routes. For the project to be seamless, it requires strong cooperation and communication between the personnel working on the project.
During the design process, the town planner will offer advice on the land use principles, the architects will provide their expertise for the design concepts and the highway engineers will use this information to guide their engineering drawings and assessment of cost effectiveness.
A highway engineering job is a great career in which to develop a knowledge of highways, the associated infrastructure and an understanding of how different engineering and non-engineering disciplines collaborate to deliver projects in a safety critical environment. It’s an opportunity to work in an industry that is becoming increasingly diverse.
Bring your highway engineering career to Atkins
At Atkins, we have a diverse mix of employees from new apprentices and graduates to long-serving employees with years of invaluable knowledge. If you choose a roads engineering job with us you’ll be collaborating with some of the industry’s top talent who will help you develop both a broad and extensive level of knowledge. View our current transport jobs or to get a better idea of what it's like to work in the industry, read about Kelly's digital future in highways and roads.
Learn more about our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
The engineering firm you choose will significantly impact your career. Select the right one, and you'll find your career goals supported, a healthy work-life balance and the team dynamic that you
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
Our Global Technology Centre’s recent triumph in securing the 1st prize at the prestigious Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ (IMechE) Technical Paper Competition 2023 under the working young membe
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
I'm Chloe, a degree apprentice with the transportation team. I work on projects that make journeys safer and faster. While pursuing my degree, I get hands-on experience in design and project man
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
Senior Human Factors Consultant Aston has always been passionate about making a positive difference in people's lives through her work in Human Factors and Behavioral Science. She leads in tra
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
#InsideAtkinsRéalis recently met up with Aston, one of our rising Human Factors and Behavioral Science stars. Moving from a career in secondary education to one in human factors consultancy, s
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
AsiaContent type
ProjectsPublish date
03/21/2024
Summary
Mindy embarked on her journey with AtkinsRéalis back in 2011 as a fresh graduate, filled with ambition and determination. Over the years, she has not only grown within the company but also expanded
Preview
AustraliaContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/21/2024
Summary
A mechanical engineer turned trailblazer in rail operations, seven months ago, Sophie joined AtkinsRéalis' Australian Transport Advisory Team, bringing a wealth of experience and a Chartered Creden
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/21/2024
Summary
Last year, amidst a sea of accomplished EngTech professionals, Juiee stood out as one of the top three nominees for the prestigious ‘Jean Venables Medal’ - an award recognizing outstanding achieve
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/21/2024
Summary
Striking a balance between work and life is a universal aspiration. The notion of flexible working - embracing varied start times, remote work options, or part-time schedules - has become increasin
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/19/2024
Summary
Meet Rammani, a Graduate Project Manager turned Assistant Project Manager for Enabling Works and Earthworks (as part of SEWEE) on the monumental Sizewell C project at AtkinsRéalis. In a recent i
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/19/2024
Summary
What is net zero UK? Net zero UK refers to the concept of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom. The UK government has set a legal commitment to achieve net-zero carbon
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/19/2024
Summary
The World Health Organization estimated that 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time. With the rise of mental health issues in the workforce, we understand the pivota
AtkinsRéalis
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We’re devoted to growing the diversity of our people, promoting an inclusive culture, providing everyone with an equal voice because simply put, it’s the right thing to do. Click to learn more.
Find out more