International Women in Engineering Day: Iwona Formanowska shares her story

I grew up one hundred metres from one of Poland’s largest motorways. As a child, my parents would often tell me the story of how, when the motorway was being developed, our house was almost acquired as part of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). This piece of family folklore fuelled my fascination with the motorway, and I marvelled at everything from its impressive scale to its many junctions, roundabouts and pedestrian crossings. 

As I got older, I learned to appreciate the role the motorway plays in moving people around the city and how important its layout is to ensuring the safety of those who use it. I quietly developed an interest in engineering, which led me to the University of Poland, where I earned a master’s degree in civil engineering.

In 2005, I was part of the Polish influx to Ireland following Poland’s entry into the European Union the previous year. The move was incredibly difficult for me because I had absolutely no English at the time and, as a naturally chatty person, not being able to express myself or understand local radio and newspapers was a painful experience. The absence of language schools teaching beginners-level English to adults in Dublin made the task of learning the language even more challenging. 

I eventually found a school with an excellent and patient teacher and attended classes three days a week. It took three months of pushing myself really hard before I could put my first sentences together. I still remember the joy in my teacher’s eyes when I was finally able to join in a class discussion, as he understood how much work it had taken for me to get to that point. 

My first job in Ireland was as a CAD technician. After six months in the role, I knew I wanted to become a designer. When a position became available in the company’s transportation team, the HR manager, who knew where my ambitions lay, offered me the job. I didn’t have to be asked twice. And so began my career journey from technician to graduate engineer and then design engineer to senior engineer. 

Now a principal engineer, I feel my experience in these various positions has helped me to better understand my colleagues and team members. I’ve walked in their shoes, so I can appreciate the challenges they face. 

I have been working with ROD for over nine years. During this time, I have been involved in several large road projects, including the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson ECI project in Northern Ireland, which connects Belfast and the North West. 

For the past seven years, I have been working on the Maynooth Eastern Ring Road (MERR) scheme, a peri-urban project in Maynooth, Co Kildare. The project requires the construction of approximately 1.5 km of Type 3 single carriageway, two new junctions on existing roads and a new bridge crossing the Royal Canal and Dublin to Sligo railway line. I started out as the lead road designer on the scheme, and after gradually taking on more responsibilities, I became the project manager. 

An engineer doesn’t always get the opportunity to see a project through from the very beginning, but I have been involved in the scheme from day one, overseeing its progress from concept and feasibility studies through preliminary design, planning and detailed design. We are now at the tender stage and expect construction to start in the third quarter of this year. Our project team has faced numerous challenges, from managing the complexities involved in designing a road to go above the Dublin-Sligo rail track and the Royal Canal to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit just as we were starting to engage with landowners on the CPO process and heading into the first public consultation. 

In addition to my role on MERR, I am working as the pavement task order leader on the Motorway Contracts Audit and Administration Services (MCAAS) project, where ROD is providing services to TII for motorway management and maintenance in the west region. Working on the MERR and MCAAS projects is a never-ending learning process, as every stage, every task order, provides an opportunity to broaden my knowledge, to enhance my skills, and to face new challenges. 

Over the years, I have learned how important communication is, not just within ROD’s multidisciplinary teams, but when engaging with clients, partners, third-parties, subconsultants and landowners. Recent projects have also brought into my focus the wide range of approaches required when working with different generations, each with their own distinct needs, skills and views. Common to all, however, is the need for a clear understanding of the tasks and expectations. For me, the hard job is done if my team members feel they are part of a family, with everyone focused on achieving the project goal. 

When you are an engineer, it can be difficult to switch off that part of your identity when you leave the office. Even when I am travelling, I am always looking at drainage solutions, pavement widths, and cycling facilities to see how things are done elsewhere. Some people call it an obsession; I call it a passion. When I get home from work, however, my two children provide a welcome distraction, as they keep me busy, running around after them and ferrying them to and from their various activities. 

Making time for myself is not always easy but I enjoy pulling on my coat at the end of the day and heading out to my garden. I am very fond of gardening and enjoy checking on my plants, feeding and watering them. More recently, I have become an obsessive reader of the Brontë sisters. I always enjoyed Charlotte’s ‘Jane Eyre,’ but I am now reading some of their lesser-known works, including Anne’s ‘The Tenant of the Wildfell Hall.’ I am also a proud 'new Dubliner' and, even though I have lived here for the past twenty years, I am still amazed at how easy it is to access the mountains, the sea, international events and, of course, the well-connected airport.