City of Overland Park Achieves Vision for Metcalf Avenue

The City of Overland Park, Kansas wanted to upgrade Metcalf Avenue to a traditional arterial with curb, gutter, and medians, as part of their “Vision Metcalf” plan. Between 91st to 99th Street, the corridor had open drainage ditches and an aging roadway, not in keeping with their goals for the area’s appearance. They selected our team to design a solution that would support commercial businesses and nearby residents.

Our survey team was first on site, conducting a topographic survey of the area. However, our firm had been familiar with this section of roadway and the city’s vision for years. In fact, we had made these kinds of updates to Metcalf, from 99th to 103rd, on a previous project. We also had worked on the 91st Street Bike Pedestrian Trail project, which tied into this project.

The scope included a mill and overlay, as well as upgrading the stormwater facilities and enclosing open ditches where possible. Using a value-engineering approach, we kept all storm sewers we could and cleaned up where possible. On the west side, we left some drainage open and enclosed other ditches. To maximize the system, we added storm sewer facilities upstream and capped the existing RCB structure near the Shamrock Trading Corporation Building along the west side, removing an existing guardrail which increased safety.

Along with these improvements, the City made other strategic changes to enhance the area’s aesthetic. Landscaping and irrigation were added to the median. Street lighting and signals were swapped throughout for new poles and fixtures. To maximize the budget, the signal poles at 95th and Metcalf were painted black, and a new pedestrian signal and push button poles were installed. We also made modifications to a majority of the ADA ramps to make this area accessible.

The infrastructure updates were just one part of the City’s plans to enhance Metcalf Avenue. Development efforts were also happening in tandem with our design. In addition, the project was put on hold for a year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. To best capture new, area improvements, our team conducted a second survey after we began designing. That data was incorporated into our plans.

Along with new businesses, utilities were also upgrading their facilities at this time. As part of improving the aesthetics of overhead utilities, the city requested Evergy and other utilities relocate their facilities underground from 91st to 97th Street on the west side of Metcalf. We worked with all the utilities throughout design to ensure necessary obstructions and clearances were satisfied. They fed our team information about these changes as we created and modified the design plans. Constant communication and regular meetings kept us on track.

While the initial scope was to tackle Metcalf and the east side of 95th Street, the City had additional maintenance funding sources. With that money, they decided to further enhance areas that abutted the project site. They added:

• A median replacement and mill and overlay on west leg of 91st Street.
• Spot curb replacement on the east leg of 95th Street. (Signal work and a mill and overlay were already planned for this area in the original scope.)
• Spot curb replacement and mill and overlay on the west leg of 95th Street.

Construction is underway for this large-scale effort and will be completed later this year. By reinvesting in this aging corridor, the City has drawn new businesses to Metcalf and supported existing ones. These changes increase the quality of life for residents and move Overland Park forward.