San Antonio District Engineer
Charles Benavidez, P.E. is the district engineer for the San Antonio District.
The San Antonio District plans, designs, builds, operates and maintains the state transportation system in 12 counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina, Uvalde, and Wilson.
Benavidez was named the San Antonio district engineer in December 2023. He has served with TxDOT for over 20 years and has a broad range of engineering and leadership experience in construction, design, planning, project management, inspection, maintenance, and operations. He is committed to delivering a safe and reliable transportation system that increases mobility and enhances the quality of life for all Texans.
As district engineer, he oversees a portfolio of planning projects valued at $11 billion and a construction project portfolio valued at over $5.4 billion dollars. The San Antonio construction portfolio includes two transformative transportation projects aimed at reducing gridlock on the some of the state’s most congested corridors: the I-35 North East Expansion (NEX) project and the Loop 1604 North Expansion.
Throughout his career, Benavidez has been focused on delivering mobility improvements that enhance the connectivity and safety of the state’s transportation system. He has worked on critical projects and initiatives in the Corpus Christi District including the JFK Causeway, SH 89 Relief Route, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act response plan, SH 35 Copano Bay Bridge, Hurricane Harvey response efforts, I-69 East Corridor, SH 44, SH 358, and SH 361.
Benavidez holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineer from Texas A&M University – Kingsville and a Professional Engineering license. He began his TxDOT career as a summer hire in the Corpus Christi District before starting his full-time career as an engineering assistant in the Sinton Area Office. While in Corpus Christi, he went through the district’s engineering rotation program where he served in design and construction roles. Over the years, Benavidez progressed his career in the Corpus Christi District with promotions to assistant area engineer, area engineer, and deputy district engineer. In 2002, he brought his wealth of experience to the San Antonio District as deputy district engineer.