James E. Roberts (November 30, 1930 - July 6, 2006) was a noted American civil engineer. He was recognized with industry and government awards for his leadership in bridge engineering, especially in the area of seismic retrofit. He was the state bridge engineer at Caltrans during the Loma Prieta earthquake and Northridge earthquake. His public service career lasted more than 50 years in the US Army, US Army Reserves and Caltrans. Roberts career spanned over 50 years and covered some of the most active years for engineering experienced in California from the design and construction heyday of the 1950s and 1960s to his leadership during the reconstruction efforts and seismic retrofitting programs created after two significant California earthquakes the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 199