What's New

Project News

West Area 1 MG Water Storage Tank, Steamboat Springs

Drexel Barrell Water Resources Engineers teamed with Bates Engineering to design the West Area 1 MG underground water storage tank and 5,100-LF of 16-inch supply line from CR 129. The reinforced concrete tank will provide drinking water and fire protection for the west side of Steamboat Springs. Drexel Barrell is also providing construction inspection and contract administration services.

Spring Gulch / CR 1 Pedestrian Underpass + Drainage Box Culverts, City of Longmont

Spring Gulch Trail is a multi-phase, multiple year project that begin in 2010 and was postponed for several years due to the 2013 Great Flood. The first phases included a new pedestrian box culvert with skylight under SH 119 and a one-mile trail connecting Spring Gulch to Flor del Llano Park. Drexel Barrell designed trails, pedestrian bridges, inverted siphons, and a railroad underpass that when completed will link Stephen Day Park to Sandstone Ranch Park with a connector trail to Union Reservoir.

Drexel Barrell was a proud participant in the 2009 dedication and June 15, 2017 rededication of the 40th Baseline Monumentation, located along Baseline Road near Broadway. The Monumentation commemorates the 1859 survey to establish the 40th parallel of latitude from Kansas to "the top of the Rocky Mountains", a prime reference in US Government land surveys of the Western US.

Survey Principal William K. Wright, PLS was a key member of the organizing and planning team and represented Drexel Barrell at both events.

Apres Ski Way / Village Dr. Multi-Modal Improvements, Steamboat Springs. Drexel Barrell previously designed the roundabout at Apres Ski / Mt. Werner Circle seen in the distance.

Burgess Creek Box Culvert at Apres Ski Way, Steamboat Springs

Contractors recently constructed a Drexel Barrell-designed 100-year capacity box culvert on Burgess Creek at Apres Ski Way in Steamboat Springs. The 12' x 4' box carries 600-cfs (substantially more than the culverts it replaces) while achieving a zero rise in water surface, and is part of the Apres Ski Way / Village Drive Intersection Improvements project. A second companion culvert that Drexel Barrell is designing will carry Burgess Creek beneath Village Drive.

Construction continues at Downtown Westminster (the City's 105-acre redevelopment at 92nd at Harlan), with completion scheduled for 2017. Drexel Barrell provided design of site infrastructure, including utilities, streets, signal modifications, lighting, construction management, inspection, testing and staking.

Colorado Springs Airport Runway and Taxiway Replacements

Drexel Barrell surveyors from our Colorado Springs Office recently completed our third project providing survey control and precise staking for runway and taxiway replacements at the Colorado Springs Airport (with IHC).

Woodgate Road Improvements, Montrose

City of Montrose opens newly widened Woodgate Road Improvements designed by Drexel Barrell (from Ogden to Oxbow), Montrose. City of Montrose' new Recreation Center under construction, top left (photo courtesy City of Montrose).

Rueter-Hess Reservoir High Precision Surveys, Parker

The Parker Water and Sanitation District calls on the expert surveyors of Drexel Barrell to carefully monitor the embankment and outlet works at Rueter-Hess Reservoir for settlement. As part of a multi-year effort, our surveyors conduct first-order level surveys. This includes measurements 1/4 mile inside the outlet works, no place for the claustrophobic!

S. Platte River Trail and Bridges, 108th to 120th, Adams County Parks and Recreation / UD&FCD

Adams County Parks and Recreation and the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District commissioned Drexel Barrell to design over 10,000 feet of 10-foot trail and two new pedestrian bridges (S. Platte River and the Bull Seep Canal). The new trail extends between 108th and 120th Avenues, and represents the last segment between Chatfield Reservoir and Thornton.

Washington St. Improvements, 52nd to 58th, Adams County

Adams County Transportation completed the construction of widening, pedestrian, and safety improvements to Washington St. from 52nd to 58th Avenues, designed by Drexel Barrell.

Spring Gulch Underpass at SH 119, Longmont: Concept and completed project.

Staff News

Derek Schuler, P.E., PTOE joins our Boulder Office with 25 years of transportation and traffic engineering experience, including signal design and operations. Derek leads our Transportation and Traffic Engineering Group.

Michelle Iblings, MSCE, P.E, PH, CFM joins our Boulder Office with 13 years of in-depth floodplain modeling, reservoir storage design, and stream restoration experience. She was recently selected to lead our Water Resources Group.

J. Edward Roberts, Jr., P.E. joins our Boulder Office to manage multi-disciplined projects including roadways, utilities, and drainage. Ed brings over 45 years of comprehensive civil engineering and project management experience, including ownership of his own firm and designing hundreds of projects in Colorado, California, and Missouri.

Drexel Barrell announces key promotions:

Drexel Barrell is proud to announce the promotion of two key employees to Principal.

Tim D. McConnell, P.E., Manager of our Colorado Springs office has been an integral member of our company since 2010. He has demonstrated leadership and proven ability to manage our growing Colorado Springs office for both public and private sector clients. Recent projects include Golden Lane Bridge Replacement for El Paso County, 1.5 miles of trunk sewer replacement for Trinidad, and numerous residential projects across El Paso County.

2020 Update: Tim has been elected Chair of the City of Colorado Springs / El Paso County Drainage Board. The Drainage Board acts as an advisory board to City Council and the Board of County Commissioners regarding subdivision codes and regulations relating to the drainage and control of flood and surface waters and administration of the subdivision Storm Water Drainage Funds. The board also works closely with the City Engineer and the County Engineer.

Mathew E. Selders, PLS has been employed at Drexel Barrell since 2000. Matt supervises field and office survey operations in Boulder, including scheduling assignments, supervising surveys and plats, and preparing proposals. Representative projects include: 29th Street, WW Reynolds property surveys, and the Peloton in Boulder, Clear Lake Dam, Downtown Westminster, and the Snowmass Golf Course.

Michael D. Middleton, P.E., Principal reaches career milestone

Though not nearly as impressive as the tenure record set by his partner Bill Wright, Mike reached his 25 year anniversary with Drexel Barrell in 2018.

A graduate of North Carolina State University with a BS in Civil Engineering and the University of Colorado with a Masters in Business Administration, Mike was City Engineer of Broomfield, Operations Engineer for the Boulder County Public Works Department, and founded and operated Columbine Engineering Management Group, Inc. for 10 years before joining Drexel.

William K. Wright, PLS, Principal reaches career milestone

A native of Utah who grew up in Pennsylvania, Bill earned a degree in Surveying from Paul Smith's College (NY). After graduating and working for two years in PA, he moved west to Boulder. Hired by founder Frank Drexel in June 1977, Bill has been continously employed by our firm for 40 years! (the longest tenure in our company's history).

Bill started in the original Drexel Barrell offices at 1425 Pearl Street, and his first assignment was manually drafting an Improvement Location Certificate under Frank Drexel's seal. Working his way up through the ranks, Bill took on ever-increasing responsibility and duties as he gained experience and honed his survey skills.

In 1985, he demonstrated the knowledge, experience, and proficiency required to become licensed as a Colorado Professional Land Surveyor. In 1994, Bill became a stockholder and in 1999 a Principal of Drexel Barrell.

Much like a detective, surveying requires a methodical and analytical approach, painstaking research and investigation, and meticulous attention to detail. Bill proudly carries on in the tradition of the company founder, Frank Drexel, PLS.

Drexel Barrell announces new Associates:

In January, Drexel Barrell proudly announced the promotion to Associate of two members of our firm. The new Associates are: Cameron W. Knapp, P.E., LEED AP, Manager of our Greeley Office and, Patrick C. O'Hearn, PLS, Senior Surveyor in our Colorado Springs office.

Cameron Knapp joined Drexel Barrell in 2008 and spent six years in our Greeley and Boulder offices before re-opening our Greeley office last fall. He served eight years with the US Army Reserves before joining our firm. Cameron knows the staff and is thoroughly familiar with City of Greeley and Weld County requirements and approval procedures.

Pat O'Hearn has been employed at Drexel Barrell since 2007 and has been the surveyor for our Grand Junction, Steamboat Springs and Colorado Springs Offices. He brings over 40 years of Colorado land surveying experience and wisdom to his current position as Associate and Survey Manager of our Colorado Springs office.