Catherine T. Sheridan, P.E., is President of MTA Bridges and Tunnels (Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority), which operates nine tolled crossings linking the boroughs of New York City and is the largest bridge and tunnel authority in the nation. These facilities serve nearly 1 million daily vehicles and generate more than $2 billion in annual toll revenue. Sheridan is responsible for carrying out the agency’s core mission of providing safe, secure, and reliable passage for customers; advancing state of good repair; and collecting, protecting, and recovering toll revenue, which provides for the sustainability of these facilities and subsidizes the MTA’s mass transit services.
Sheridan began her career at the New York State Department of Transportation as a seasonal Transportation Construction Inspector in 1990. She progressed through increasingly responsible positions, rising to Chief Engineer of the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation. In that role, in addition to overseeing a multi-billion-dollar capital program, she was an executive advisor for the $3.9 billion Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge design-build project.
Sheridan was integral to the State’s 2011 response and recovery following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, which caused over $1 billion in damages to the Erie Canal and surrounding communities. She led 24/7 operations to restore navigation and secured competitive FEMA mitigation grants to significantly reduce peak flood levels in adjacent communities.
Sheridan joined the MTA in 2019 as a Senior Vice President at MTA Construction & Development (C&D) and was the agency’s incident commander through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring over 500 essential construction projects safely continued with minimal schedule disruptions, as well as accelerated $2.3 billion in critical state of good repair and ADA work during reduced MTA ridership. Sheridan became MTA C&D’s Chief of Staff in 2021. She was instrumental in the development of the organization and provided key leadership to ensure successful progress of the MTA’s unprecedented $55 billion capital program, to include the record-setting commitment of $11.4 billion in capital work in 2022 and the opening of Grand Central Madison.
Sheridan is a Professional Engineer in New York State. She earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University in the City of New York and a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance from Boston University. Sheridan also served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, reaching the rank of Captain. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and WTS International. In 2022, Sheridan was named by Crain’s New York Business as one of the 40 Notable Women in Construction, Design and Architecture.