“Civil engineers build the mightiest works of men.” This quote is quite possibly responsible for Harris County’s Toll Road System being the way it is today.
At the age of 12, a boy named Wesley asked his mother what civil engineers do. His mother replied that she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t brush off her son’s question. Instead, she obtained a book about civil engineering for Wesley to discover the answer himself. After reading the book (the title escapes him today), the details were forgotten, except that one quote. Wesley E. Freise, P.E., executive director of the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). fondly relayed this story to friends, family and colleagues at a recent dinner in honoring his contributions. If anyone can pack a room. Preise can. About 500 people turned out on November 13 to express their appreciation for the countless hours he has spent to improve the region’s mobility.
A number of NHA members sponsored the event: Bank One, Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc., Brown & Root/ Halliburton Company, Carter & Burgess. Cobourn. Linseisen & Ratcliff, Inc.. Continental Airlines. Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation, Fulbright & Jaworski, Gilbane Building Company, Greater Greenspoint District, HNTB Corporation, Huitt-Zollars, Inc.. Senator Jon Lindsay. JNS Consulting Engineers, Inc., Klotz Associates, Inc., LJA Engineering & Surveying. Inc., Lockwood. Andrews & Newnam. Inc., Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Montgomery & Associates. Othon, Inc., Pate Engineers. Inc., PBS&J. PGAL. The Woodlands
Operating Company. Thompson Professional Group. Inc.. Turner Collie & Braden. Inc.. Union Pacific Railroad Company. Vinson & Elkins, Walter P. Moore. Wolff Companies and WSBC Civil Engineers.
A large number of dignitaries were present, including Senator Jon Lindsay, NHA president. Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. Harris County Commissioners Eversole. El Franco Lee and Steve Radack. and Texas Department of Transportation District Engineer Gary Trietsch. The North Houston Association’s Board of Directors presented Freise with a resolution commending him for his dedication to the improvement of regional mobility in the greater Houston area and wishing him “best regards with and offering support of his ongoing and future mobility endeavors in the north Houston region.” Freise has worked for HCTRA since 1984. where he has overseen all phases of design and construction in addition to setting the structure for toll operations and collections.
The Harris County Roll Road network might have been completed if young Wesley had never read that book, but without his influence, insight, and expertise, it most surely would not have been the system it is today.
