We welcome to the Qk4 Structures team, Mike Edwards, PE. Mike will be working from our Somerset, KY office, assisting with bridge inspections, load ratings, and other structural tasks.
Mike graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and has been in bridge inspection for more than 10 years. He began his career in KYTC’s District 8 Structures Section (Somerset, KY) where he assisted and/or facilitated on nearly 1,000 routine inspections in the district and assisted other districts around the state with Fracture Critical Inspections. In 2015, he took a job in the Bridge Maintenance Department in KYTC’s Central Office where he was a member of the Load Rating Division and facilitated the Superloads Program along with other routine and fracture critical inspections across the state. In 2018, he returned home to Somerset to assume the Bridge Engineer’s duty where he oversaw the inspection program for District 8 until October 2022.

Mike says his favorite thing about his career is that there is always something new and exciting when it comes to bridges – new designs, new inspection techniques, new technologies. “In just 10 short years, I’ve seen so many changes to the bridge program overall and I’ve always taken a lot of pride in serving the Commonwealth and my home.”

Mike says he pursued an engineering career because “for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved math and science, working with my hands and building things. My father owned a construction company growing up and I’ve always enjoyed helping, even with the most minute things, and he and I still do a lot of general contract work together (building/renovating houses, etc.) even now – we have a separate business together where we renovate homes as time and resources allow. My father encouraged me to make an easier life for myself and an engineering degree allowed me to do just that–a field that I am genuinely passionate about that allows me to enjoy the hands-on side without totally sacrificing my body, although the physical side of inspection can be strenuous at times. I like to push myself.

Mike decided to change direction in his career to join Qk4 because of the family atmosphere and general culture of the work. “I have several friends that are already employed here – friends that I enjoy working with – and just speaking with them about the culture at Qk4, speaking with Mr. Kelly himself and how I didn’t feel intimidated to speak with him about the job and about my future. Everyone I’ve talked to has just felt like family.”

In his free time, Mike loves anything UK and says he has always been a big fan and it was something he enjoyed doing with his dad. “I also love anything sport related (basketball, football, baseball, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, etc.). I’m overly passionate about my family. I’ve got a two-year-old little girl, Emersyn Jaymes, a new baby girl, Eleanor Blake, who arrived on 11/2. My wife, Mary and I have been married 8 years (high school sweethearts – we’ve been together more than 16 years). The majority of both of our families live within an hour of each other and we spend a lot of time together. My family takes the majority of my time and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”