De Soto Adds Value with ADA Accessible Trail for Students and Area Businesses

To add value for residents and local businesses, the City of De Soto wanted to create an ADA accessible, bike and pedestrian track that would provide De Soto High School students and Panasonic employees access to Lexington Park. Doing this would lengthen an existing trail near the high school which stopped at Sunflower Road. While it was a natural next step in the City’s larger plan, the unique site came with a variety of complex constraints.

In the past, this area was home to an ammunition plant. The roadway was originally four-lanes and used to haul equipment for the World War II, Korean, and Vietnam wars. When the plant was closed, the City decided to repurpose the site into an industrial complex and leverage it to offer greenspace to residents as well. They also converted Sunflower Road back into a two-lane street due to the decrease in traffic.

Our Roadway Team was selected to design the 10-foot, asphalt trail spanning 1.5 miles through utility easements. To enhance the area, our goal was to create a winding path that was usable for all. We utilized space in the right-of-way (ROW) along Sunflower Road for the track. This approach allowed us to limit the amount of ROW needed to develop the pathway.

Our Survey Group was the first on site. They conducted topographic and boundary surveys. Before beginning design, we also collaborated closely with Evergy. They were installing transmission poles in the area that couldn’t be moved. However, they weren’t in place at the time of our survey. The utility provided us with approximate locations. We used that information to determine where we could swing the trail in and out to create an aesthetically pleasing experience.

A portion of the trail is located under the K-10 bridge. This informed our design as well. The new trail had to fit in with the existing piers. We could not impact the structure with its placement. To accommodate this, the trail went under the middle of the easternmost section where grading and excavation would not impact the piers.

Along with this infrastructure, the site had an old sanitary sewer manhole and creek. Our plans avoided the manhole and left it undisturbed. For the creek crossing, we were able to utilize the previous roadway bed to build a ditch on the outside of the trail. We also replaced the fence at the end of the culvert to make it safer for bicycles.

For this project, we engaged multiple internal teams. Our Stormwater Group analyzed the ditch and drainage structure, because the culvert had a hole in the top of it. This helped us find the safest solution. Our Structural Team designed modifications to one drainage inlet. Lastly, our Traffic Group created a plan for construction phasing, signing along the trail, and pavement marking at 95th and 102nd Street.

Along with the trail, we reconstructed 95th and 102nd Street to achieve ADA compliance. By adjusting the grades on both of these roadways, we were able to construct a crosswalk with proper cross slopes, making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the roadway.

The City had secured funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) for the first phase of the project. As a result, we designed to KDOT’s standards and specifications. We also followed KDOT’s process, which meant the permitting and reviews all ran through their team.

Residents are already taking advantage of this new area amenity. Phase One, which covers 103rd to 91st Street, has been fully constructed. Phase Two is in preliminary design, while the City works towards securing funding.