Matthew Dawson, P.E., PTOE, a vice president and Hanson’s transportation practice lead, manages the roadway, traffic, railway and logistics disciplines within our transportation practice. He also serves as the project engineer on a range of transportation projects and provides quality control reviews of technical documents and plans for projects throughout the country.

After initially working for Hanson from 2000 to 2006, Matthew rejoined the firm in 2010. During his career, he has worked on crucial transportation projects, including the Interstate 74 reconstruction, Washington Street improvements, 20-block Warehouse District redevelopment, Adams/Jefferson One-Way to Two-Way Conversion and Northmoor Road improvements, all in Peoria, Illinois; the Multimodal Corridor Enhancement project study and design in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; numerous roadway and bridge replacement projects for the Missouri Department of Transportation; design support for various Class I railroads; and the reconstruction of several sections of the Illinois Tollway system, including portions of interstates 294, 90 and 88.

Matthew’s experience and leadership have been recognized through numerous accolades. A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Matthew was honored by the Central Illinois Section as Civil Engineer of the Year in 2023 and as the Young Engineer of the Year in 2013. He was also named a Zweig White Rising Star in Civil Engineering in 2012, one of InterBusiness Issues’ 40 Leaders Under Forty in 2011 and ASCE’s Outstanding Practitioner Adviser for Zone III in 2001.

The membership chair of ASCE’s Illinois Valley Branch and a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Matthew has also been an active participant with the Transportation Research Board, providing peer reviews of research papers, and he was appointed as a member of the Standing Committees for Operational Effects of Geometrics and Access Management. He continues to give back to Bradley University through teaching its undergraduate MicroStation class, serving on the Civil Engineering and Construction Advisory Board and presenting various topics to the ASCE student chapter.

IN MATTHEW’S WORDS
“People are what make the difference, and I have always enjoyed working with many of the best in our industry to deliver important and innovative projects for our clients. Working together, we have accomplished much more than we could have alone, which is what I think allows us to be so successful on such a range of assignments. Knowing we are in this together helps to foster our culture as an employee-owned company.”