Hallsten promoted to District 5 engineer

WORLAND — The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s district maintenance engineer in Basin has been promoted to lead state transportation efforts as the District 5 Engineer.

Pete Hallsten has been District 5’s maintenance engineer since 2015; his promotion to District Engineer is effective Nov. 1.

“Pete has demonstrated the technical knowledge, leadership abilities, and team work necessary to advance the outstanding work within District 5, foster a continued working relationship with the contracting community, and provide a unique perspective into several new and exciting challenges facing the Department of Transportation,” said WYDOT Chief Engineer Gregg Fredrick.

Hallsten replaces Shelby Carlson of Greybull, who recently accepted an administrative position with the Wyoming State School Facilities Division in Cheyenne.

Hallsten joined WYDOT as an engineer in June 1990. He was promoted to resident engineer in Pinedale in 1997, and he transferred to Jackson in 2000 and served the Jackson area until 2011. In 2011, he transferred to Pinedale as resident engineer. He became District 5’s maintenance engineer in January 2015.

“I am looking forward to continuing to develop the excellent relationships with the communities and citizens of northwest Wyoming,” Hallsten said. “I’m feeling pretty lucky to be here and working with all of the people in District 5. Being district engineer is a big responsibility and a big opportunity. We’re going through changes as an agency; I’m looking forward to engaging in the process.”

WYDOT District 5 includes state transportation facilities in five counties -- Park, Big Horn, Washakie, Hot Springs and Fremont counties — and the eastern edge of Teton County and western edge of Natrona County.

Hallsten was born in Fort Collins, Colo., and was raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University.

Hallsten and his wife, Shelly, have two sons, ages 24 and 22, and they make their home in Worland. Their oldest son lives and works in Pinedale, and their youngest son is a student at the University of Wyoming.

Hallsten enjoys fishing, archery hunting, riding bicycles and Nordic skiing in his spare time.