City of Olathe Increases Accessibility Around High School

The City of Olathe, KS was faced with aging infrastructure at a key intersection near Olathe South High School (OSHS). They needed to replace the existing traffic signal at 151st and Lennox and decided to make the area ADA compliant and add pedestrian crossings at the same time.

Working closely with the city, our team started by surveying the site. Then, we created a concept layout. Once approved by the city, we translated their feedback into a preliminary design. Managing utility coordination and creating right-of-way plans were next. After that, we submitted final plans to the city for review and ultimately to bid the project and select a contractor to do the work.

After the survey had been conducted, more utilities were placed on the site. The city had recently added a utility coordinator to their team, Brent Barry. He was instrumental in getting us the information we needed to update our design plans.

Because the site abuts the south end of OSHS, our team was charged with scheduling the project, so it could be constructed when school was not in session. By coordinating closely with the school, city, and contractors, we were able to complete most of the work over the summer. The poles were later installed over Christmas break, minimizing disruptions to students, faculty, and families.

The completed project includes new signals for the intersection with updated pedestrian push buttons. To increase safety for all roadway users, we replaced the curb ramps and added truncated domes. Along with these changes, per the city’s request, our team interconnected the city’s fiber network and installed a Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) camera to the area.

The new, updated technology will serve the community for years to come, and the increased accessibility accommodates all citizens. The traffic signal at 151st and Lennox in Olathe, Kansas helps move this community forward by improving safety for vehicles and pedestrians.