Rachel McCoy, PE is one of hundreds of skilled GAI professionals who help clients create better communities, transportation infrastructure, energy generation and delivery, and more from our office locations throughout the United States. Today we’ll find out a little about what makes Rachel tick—the background, motivation, and methods that she brings to the table every day for GAI and GAI’s clients.
Q: Please tell us a little about how you arrived at your area of specialization.
Rachel McCoy: I am a Civil Engineer specializing in traffic engineering and roadway design. I have been practicing for over 7 years. Since my father is also a Civil Engineer, I have had opportunities to see the projects he was working on go from the design phase to construction to final product. I found that process very interesting, particularly seeing his work in the real world and the impact it had on the communities and environment surrounding the project. I wanted to make this type of impact myself, so I followed in his footsteps and majored in Civil Engineering in college. While in college, I had the opportunity to work as a co-op for the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) where I was exposed to the different aspects of the transportation industry and found that I truly enjoyed roadway design and traffic engineering.
Q: What role do you play at GAI, and what sorts of projects do you typically contribute to?
Rachel: I work on a variety of transportation projects including, but not limited to, small bridge replacements, interstate bridge replacements, and large roadway widening projects. For each type of project, I work on different aspects from roadway plan development to maintenance of traffic design to permitting.
Q: What do you like most about your job, and why do you feel GAI is a good place to put your skills to work?
Rachel: There are several things that I enjoy about my job. First, I enjoy seeing projects go from ideas to plans to reality knowing that I was part of the team that accomplished them. Being able to have a positive effect on the communities and the state that I fondly call home is rewarding. Every project has its own complex challenges that makes my work interesting and always evolving.
Being able to have a positive effect on the communities and state that I fondly call home is rewarding.
The people I work with within GAI make this a great place to work. They foster a place of growth and encourage learning new skills while maintaining a positive atmosphere. Working with GAI’s transportation group gives me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects including design-build projects and design-bid-build projects with the guidance of highly experienced professional engineers.
Contact Rachel McCoy, PE at 681.245.6486 and find out more about GAI’s transportation engineering services—message GAI online and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.
Rachel McCoy is a West Virginia and Virginia-registered Professional Engineer. Her broad range of experience includes roadway design, maintenance of traffic design, signing and pavement marking design, permitting, utility coordination, cost estimating, and plan development.
