Kelly Keefe joined the Project in July after spending five years working on a trolley extension project in San Diego. As a Structures Manager, Kelly coordinates with field engineers, foremen and superintendents to make sure everyone has the plans, inventory and support that they need to complete their work.
Recently, Kelly has been working on the western-most part of the Project, near Santa Fe Avenue. This section of the viaduct is different than the rest because there are no Arch Rib supports. Instead, it is being constructed with a box girder design, meaning that the horizontal support beams (or girders) are shaped like hollowed boxes. Kelly is also involved with the pedestrian and bicycle ramp pictured above, which is a unique design unlike anything he has worked on before.
Kelly grew up around construction, working in the industry with his father while he was in high school. After that, Kelly studied construction management in college, where he found an interest in heavy civil construction specifically. While in college, Kelly was also able to intern with Skanska (like some of the Project interns we have profiled before). This opportunity allowed him to get incredible hands-on experience as he began his career.
To anyone interested in pursuing work like his, Kelly recommends finding chances to see what the job is like out on a project site. "The closer you can get to field experience, the better," he says. "It helps connect the work to what you see on paper."
Kelly Keefe
