Wakarusa Drive serves as a heavily traveled north/south route on the western side of Lawrence, Kansas. The section between Clinton Parkway and Research Park Way was plagued with crumbling asphalt, indicating it had reached the end of its service life. Additionally, as western Lawrence has grown in recent decades, the corridor needed to be updated to meet the current demands, with an eye on safety and updated pedestrian facilities. Reconstruction was determined to be the most cost-effective, long-term solution.

The City of Lawrence contracted with us to lead the reconstruction of this 0.85-mile-long section of the corridor. Community input was important from the beginning as the team sought and received feedback from corridor users and adjacent property owners. Our team not only listened to these stakeholders but acted on what they heard. Concerns about pedestrian accommodations, intersection design, traffic speeds, safety, driveway locations, privacy, and noise were addressed in the design.

We took a multidisciplinary approach that looked at the project holistically. At the beginning, traffic analysis and survey took center stage. As the project moved into design, our team also performed several other duties, including road design, utility coordination, storm sewer replacement, water main coordination and design, roundabout landscaping, retaining wall design, and lighting design.

➤ A multi-lane roundabout maintains continuous traffic flow, improves safety, and reduces vehicle emissions.

➤ A business entrance and roadway were realigned during the project to improve user safety.

➤ 10-foot-wide shared-use paths were added on both sides of Wakarusa Drive, replacing the previous narrow sidewalks. The new paths are elevated above traffic and connect to the larger citywide active transportation network.

➤ Rectangular rapid flashing beacons were installed on the multi-lane approaches to the roundabout. On the roundabout side road approaches, raised crosswalks were constructed. Although not required, this emerging best practice elevates pedestrians, improves visibility, and increases driver yielding behavior.

➤ An ADA-compliant traffic signal that provides both audible and tactile crossing alerts was installed at the busy intersection of Wakarusa Drive and Clinton Parkway. Additionally, improved turn lanes at this location enhance safety and facilitate access to nearby businesses.

➤ New lighting fixtures at the roundabout were strategically positioned to eliminate nighttime dark spots.

Thoughtful, proactive design was instrumental in protecting existing utilities along the project corridor and maintaining uninterrupted service throughout construction. Through early coordination efforts, the team was able to eliminate the need for costly reconstruction of two major water mains and avoid the relocation of an existing gas pipeline.

Uninterrupted access was also required for the City’s water treatment plant, also located along Wakarusa Drive. Phasing and design considerations allowed plant operations to be maintained throughout construction. Similarly, a fire station sits along the project corridor, with its main access on Wakarusa Drive. This required extensive coordination with the fire department to manage emergency response times. To avoid impacts on those times, phasing plans were carefully developed, and at least one of their driveways needed to be completed before the second driveway was constructed.

The current situation wasn’t the only one considered during design. With an eye toward long-term environmental needs, the team incorporated infrastructure adjacent to unoccupied land along the corridor. Working with a potential private developer, they incorporated water infrastructure and roadway access to the site as part of this project. Including these elements during reconstruction avoids future impacts to sidewalks and utilities while minimizing disruption to the traveling public.

In the end, the project was completed six weeks ahead of schedule.