Wanamaker Road, 37^th to 41^st Street – Topeka, Kansas
Safety was the issue for both the City of Topeka and Shawnee County when they joined together on planning for the multi-phase Wanamaker Corridor project. This project is the first in a series of improvements being made to transform the roadway from an old two-lane county road to a multi-lane, high volume urban arterial to serve increasing demand as development continues on the southern edge of the city. Included in the improvements are two multi-lane roundabouts and a five-lane roadway connecting the intersections. 

Coordination was the key for Bartlett & West after being awarded the project. Working with both municipal entities as well as the Auburn-Washburn School District, Kansas Department of Transportation, contractors and land owners meant proactive communication and stringent planning was required to meet the needs of this very visible project. 

Bartlett & West’s engineering services on this project resulted in a national project of the year award by the American Public Works Association.
 

Kasold Drive, Bob Billings Parkway to Clinton Parkway – Lawrence, Kansas
Improving traffic flow and safety on a key Lawrence artery prompted the City to ask for an engineering study on a one-mile stretch of Kasold Drive. The roadway, a four-lane divided arterial carrying nearly 20,000 vehicles per day, lacked turning lanes at intersections between Bob Billings and Clinton Parkways and sight distance along much of the route was substandard and few sidewalks existed throughout the project area.  

Bartlett & West was selected to provide the preliminary study for this corridor which included development of several horizontal and vertical alignment alternatives in order to provide protection of the existing landscape berm on the east side of Kasold Drive; identification of potential utility conflicts; comparison of pavement sections; development of construction sequencing options; and estimation of construction costs. A sidewalk addition required construction of retaining walls ranging from two to more then ten feet in height. Several public meetings and City Commission presentations were conducted to obtain feedback and provide responses. 

After the study was presented, construction decisions were made and plans included details and profiles for streets, storm sewers, and two new waterlines, retaining wall profiles, paving and structural details, traffic signal modifications, construction sequencing, pavement marking and signing plans, as well as cross sections.

Reconstruction of this major north/south arterial has significantly improved traffic flow throughout the corridor, providing safety to thousands of motorists each day. Recurring maintenance funds formerly dedicated to roadway repairs can now be shifted to other projects and a new pedestrian path on the roadway offers residents access that was previously nonexistent.
 

I-70, Wabaunsee & Shawnee Counties – Kansas
This portion of I-70 was the first segment to start being paved and to be completed in the national interstate system so keeping this historic portion of I-70 safe for drivers was the motivation behind upgrading the infrastructure to meet new safety standards.

The I-70 project involved design for the reconstruction of more than eight miles of four-lane divided interstate roadway. The design focused on upgrading geometric layouts of interchanges and roadway grading to current standards. There were four existing interchange access points within the project limits and these interchanges were evaluated and redesigned to incorporate current safety elements for proper design speeds and adequate acceleration/deceleration lane lengths.

Design and plan preparation services provided by Bartlett & West included the necessity to carry traffic through construction as well as access and traffic control during construction. Right-of-way requirements included impact on many residences and businesses. The Bartlett & West team provided plan and specification preparation, construction sequences, hydraulic and drainage design, bridge rehabilitation and replacement design and estimate of construction cost. 

In addition to engineering design and plan preparation services, Bartlett & West also provided photogrammetry and surveying services including aerial targets, GPS horizontal and vertical control, reestablishment and setting of base line, setting and monument side road alignments, section corner, bridge surveys, hard pavement shots at tie-ins, location existing drainage structures and utility locations.
 

Strother Road – Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Fast-paced development calls for fast-paced infrastructure improvements and that is what was needed for the Strother Road Interchange project in Lee’s Summit. To provide economic development opportunities to the Strother Road corridor, this highly developing area is in need of a new interchange on M-291/I-470.

The construction of a diamond interchange on I-470 will not only provide access to a future development area for economic expansion, but the new interchange will also provide traffic congestion relief for this busy stretch of interstate by constructing a parallel city collector with additional access and egress points other than I-470. In addition to the interchange itself, auxiliary lanes with shoulders will be constructed along the outside of the existing facility from Woods Chapel Road to Colbern Road, helping to facilitate traffic weaving patterns.

The Strother Road portion of the project under I-470 will feature two through lanes each way with separate turning lanes for access to or from I-470. Sidewalks will be built along each side for pedestrian traffic and the bridge itself will feature a decorative stone form linear on the outside faces and a rock blanket spill slope for aesthetic additions. New highway signs, ramp lighting, pavement markings and traffic signals will complete the I-470 interchange project.

Fairchild Storm Sewer Separation – Topeka, Kansas
Creating a wetland park with native grasses, diverse plants and a natural wildlife habitat was the result of some environmentally friendly planning by Bartlett & West on the Fairchild Storm Sewer Separation project.  Instead of replacing an outdated pump station and an egg-shaped brick combined sewer, as called for in the North Topeka Stormwater Master Plan, Bartlett & West’s proposal called for a re-routing of the sewer which eliminated the need for a pump station altogether and proved a more economical solution.

The 6,000-foot storm sewer project ultimately incorporated a downstream area into a wetland park at the same time it provided flood relief to 33 intersections in north Topeka and will enable future separation projects to occur by providing a downstream conveyance system for existing storm sewer systems. Flood relief hasn’t been the only environmental improvement as wastewater flow has been removed from a drainage system that at one time directed runoff into the Kansas River.
 

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