THE BHATT FAMILY

Inevitably each year, several major storms hit Colorado, closing the roads, shutting down the airport and making it nearly impossible for people to traverse the state. On those days, most people do their best to avoid travel. But for Stapleton resident, Shailen P. Bhatt, this is when the real work begins. As the Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) he is the first person contacted when something goes wrong on the statewide transportation system and he takes this responsibility very seriously. CDOT maintains 3,500 bridges, 23,0000 miles of highway, 35 mountain passes and several hundred pieces of snow fighting equipment. In addition, Bhatt oversees 3,300 employees statewide and an annual budget of approximately $1.4 billion. Despite this herculean responsibility, if a problem occurs,  he doesn’t hesitate to jump in a snow plow, head to the airport during a blizzard, or help redirect traffic after a highway closure.

“People often think of CDOT as a monolithic entity, but in actuality it exists to save lives and is composed of thousands of people that truly care about making people’s lives better, “ said Bhatt. “We are committed to making Colorado’s transportation system the best in the country and continuing to push this state forward.”

Bhatt took on the leadership role for CDOT in 2015 while serving as the cabinet secretary for the Delaware Department of Transportation. He became aware of Stapleton well before that in 2005 when he traveled to Denver for a Metro Planning Meeting.

“I recall people talking about a new, award-winning urban infill development and was intrigued by the innovative concept of a former airport becoming a master-planned community,” said Bhatt. “Fast forward 10 years and I was offered the job at CDOT in Denver and immediately thought of Stapleton.”