We were sorry to hear of the passing of Walter Mergelsberg who passed away peacefully in his home in Daytona Beach, FL in December, 2025. Walter was born in New York on January 22, 1936. He is survived by one son and his wife Luisa.
Walter Mergelsberg had over 60 years of experience in the design, management, and construction supervision of transportation projects. He dedicated his professional career to the development and implementation of mass transit systems. Beginning his career as a resident and project engineer on airport developments in the northeastern U.S., he quickly recognized the need for multimodal transportation links. In 1970, he joined the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), where his technical expertise and leadership skills helped implement new and cost-effective construction methods, such as the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) and the PVC membrane waterproofing system, throughout the system’s expansion.
In 1995, after 26 years of service, during which he shaped Metro’s overall construction program - comprising 103 miles of track, approximately 50 miles of which were underground, and 73 stations - he retired from Metro as Director of Construction.
In 1996 he joined Kaiser Engineers and successfully directed the design-build project of Manila’s (Philippines) Light Rail System to its completion. Once again he demonstrated his ability to overcome obstacles which are common in every urban community.
In 2004, he joined the Dr. Sauer Corporation as head of the Washington Office and President of the company. He led the company's efforts to implement state-of-the-art tunneling techniques and applications. One of his big projects was the design of Tysons Tunnel, a proposed alternative to Metro aerial structures through this quickly growing urban area. He retired from this position in 2009, moving to Daytona Beach and where he continued to provide expert consulting services on several transit projects in North America. His retirement quickly turned into a project when Hurricane Ian hit and wiped out the seawall and swimming pool in front of his condo building. Of course, he got deeply involved and helped get it rebuilt.
Walt will be remembered not only for his outstanding professional achievements, but also for his kind and cheerful spirit, his sharp wit and sense of humor, and his enjoyment of the good things in life.