Former chief of U.S. construction firm Bechtel dies at 95

March 16 (Reuters) - Stephen Bechtel Jr, the third generation of his family to head international construction firm Bechtel Corp, has died aged 95, the company said.

Bechtel, who was chief executive for 30 years from 1960, during which sales grew 11-fold and the workforce five-fold, with major projects swelling to 119 from 18, died peacefully at home on Monday, the company said in a statement.

It gave no cause of death.

"My grandfather leaves a remarkable legacy of accomplishment, integrity, excellence, and commitment to customers and communities," said Brendan Bechtel, the current chairman and chief executive.

A Stanford-educated engineer and grandson of company founder Warren Bechtel, Bechtel expanded its global footprint with work on the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France and Saudi Arabia's King Khalid airport.

In addition to the firm's work for the U.S. government, Bechtel also oversaw contracts for a nuclear power plant in California, Saudi Arabia's Jubail industrial city and Canada's James Bay hydroelectric project.

Having served as a director of firms such as General Motors GM.N, IBM IBM.N and the Southern Pacific Railroad, Bechtel received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991 from then President George H.W. Bush.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

((Kanishka.Singh@thomsonreuters.com; +91 8061822801;))