North Metro Rail Line’s female lead engineers break barriers

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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Left to right: Katrina Rodriguez, Nicole Harwell, Jennifer Whiteside and Jane Donovan
RTD

Fields like construction and engineering frequently see fewer women in the industry, but four lead female engineers for North Metro Rail Line are putting their expertise to work.

The women engineers are said to be a “faceted element” of the Regional Transportation District’s 18.5-mile North Metro Rail Line FasTracks project, which will be completed to operate between Denver Union Station and North Thornton Highway 7. The project entails the design and construction of 13 bridges, including walls along the alignment.

As part of the project, the North Metro Rail team is constructing the longest bridge in Colorado, which is set to span more than 9,500 feet.

Regional Rail Partners (RRP) are building the first portion of the project to the Eastlake 124th station, which officials say could be extended to the North Thornton Highway 7 station as funds are allocated.

A challenging, yet critical role to the development and construction of the rail line is the deputy project manager.

Deputy project manager for North Metro Rail Line Jane Donovan oversees the entire project. She is expected to ensure all the moving parts of this project are streamlined to build a well-constructed line.

“It’s exciting to be part of such a monumental project for the region,” she said. “To have women as the lead on diverse disciplines on this project means we are breaking barriers and changing traditions.”

Nicole Harwell, a drainage engineer, focuses on designing and implementing improved drainage systems for the railway and local jurisdictions the tracks intersect with.

The design for each of the North Metro Rail stations will include the construction of a detention pond that will collect excess storm water. Constructing the detention pond is meant to regulate the flow and condition of the discharge exiting the site and aid in protecting the water quality of the downstream receiving waters.

Designing efficient drainage systems requires collaboration to build North Metro Rail infrastructure such as rail stations and bridges.

Katrina Rodriguez, station architect, and Jennifer Whiteside, structures engineer, are leading the engineering design of these infrastructures.

Building bridges is also one of the top priorities in constructing a rail line in addition to facilitating drainage along the rail corridor.

Whiteside, the lead structural engineer, will oversee all design-build activities involving structural engineering on the North Metro project. She will be responsible for reviewing and auditing the design and construction of horizontal and vertical alignments, drainage, typical cross sections, roadway and track work design, station interface and construction phasing for design and construction.

Succeeding in this role demands an understanding of engineering standards including those set forth by American Railway Engineering and Maintenance (AREMA); American Association of State and Highway and Transportation Official (AASHTO); RTD; Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT); and Union Pacific (UPRR) and BNSF Railway.

Whiteside is also expected to understand all loading conditions related to the live and dead load of train vehicles, snow, wind and earthquake loading and the load combinations generated to design the structure. Meticulous planning of drainage systems is also necessary for designing stations.

Rodriguez works with fellow engineers and the public to develop a rail station that meets the community’s needs. 

Donovan also noted the Denver metro region is growing at a “rapid pace.”

“People want to live, work and play here. And this growth is putting more demands upon our choices for mobility,” Donovan said. “We need a public transit system that can handle this growth safely and efficiently. I believe the North Metro Line and the entire FasTracks program are keeping us ahead of that growth curve.”

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