‘Construction of Tunnels Means Sacrifice’: Meet Eleanor Sillerico, Civil Engineer and Construction Manager

Eleanor Sillerico, Construction Manager for Tunnels Section 3 of Metro’s Purple (D) Line Extension Transit Project.

Courtesy of The Metro

LOS ANGELES – The Metro Source focuses on Eleanor Sillerico, Construction Manager for Tunnels Section 3 of Metro’s Purple (D) Line Extension Transit Project.

The Metro Source shines a spotlight on Eleanor Sillerico, a Construction Manager for Tunnels Section 3 of Metro’s Purple (D) Line Extension Transit Project. At the age of 15, Sillerico originally wanted to be a doctor but found a passion for infrastructure after volunteering at a local clinic. According to The Source, Sillerico shared her father’s passion for engineering who was also a civil engineer. Sillerico said her father taught her “about construction materials and equipment.,” and his work was “in hydraulic engineering, which involves building dams to provide drinking water, something essential in Bolivia.”

The work her father did in Bolivia made Sillerico aware of the “impact that structures can have on a community and a city.” There, she oversaw highway construction before moving to Spain to complete two master’s degrees. One degree is in tunnels, and the other is in geotechnics which allowed her to study soil behavior and how it interacts with structures. Sillerico worked for a construction company that worked to “build tunnels in Madrid and Malaga.”

Her work took her to England where she worked on the Crossrail Project, which is a “26-mile railway line that runs underneath Central London.” Traveling across the globe, she then worked in between Europe and Asia in Georgia on a “hydroelectric project that included 20 miles of tunnels,” before coming back to London to work on designs of “tunnels for Britain’s new high-speed railway HS2 connecting London with the north of England.”

With her vast and varied experience, she was brought onto the Purple (D) Line Extension Transit Project Team back in November 2019. The project “seeks to expand the D Line westward with seven new stations from the Mid-Wilshire District to West Los Angeles,” and Sillerico herself “provides construction management support for the 2.56 miles of tunneling and cross passages construction in Section 3, which is forecasted to open in 2027.”

When asked about the project, Sillerico said she “was excited to be in the project since the beginning using the tunnel boring machine (TBM) [a machine similar to a rotating head with knives that helps excavate through rock and soil],” and that “building with a TBM is very cutting edge because as the TBM digs, it also creates a structural shell for the tunnel.”

“In the case of the Purple line, the structure is a 13-inch-thick reinforced concrete lining. It’s very safe. . . Tunnels are fascinating challenges,” said Sillerico. Sillerico checks the machine’s speed, the “thrust against the ground, and the face pressure, among many things.” The Depth of Section 3 of the Purple Line is 120 feet, and therefore, the “lighting, ventilation, and temperature are substantially different than at ground level.” When it comes to new projects, Sillerico enjoys the work, calling it “rewarding” to finish building a tunnel before starting “from scratch all over again.”

The Source reports last August, Sillerico went to London for her birthday and rode the “Crossrail railway – now called the Elizabeth line in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.” Sillerico said she was “thrilled” walking through the stations she helped to design and build. She “spent hours thinking about the effort it required. Now, everything looks clean and well-lit, but during the excavation, it was just a hole in the ground with workers covered in dust. . . The construction of tunnels means sacrifice.”

Sillerico spoke with university engineering students in Bolivia several months ago, and she “encouraged them to put effort into their careers and told them that they can go far.” She said that “it was also a message for women. . . Of the few that complete their careers, female engineers focus on the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, and dams, but there are few who specialize in tunnels.” Over her 20 years in the industry, she has “encountered people who have tried to minimize her achievements.” When you’re a woman, “the challenge to reach leadership positions doubles, but you should not give up. If you are dedicated, willing to listen to constructive criticism, and willing to learn no matter how much you know, believe me, you can do it,” Sillerico said.