Creative Solution to meet ADA- Compliance
In conjunction with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Sidewalk Project, GBA was hired to provide design services for ADA improvements throughout Kansas. The team uncovered a few intersections in Tonganoxie, KS, that needed additional improvements to their pedestrian facilities to ensure ADA compliance.
Initially, what started as ramp improvements due to a mill and overlay project turned into the need for additional traffic signal modifications. The GBA team was responsible for roadway design improvements, including the ramps, traffic signal modifications and traffic control layouts.
The project encompassed two different intersections, each with their own challenges. The first intersection along US Highway 24-40 and 4th Street had been originally designed by GBA the team discovered. Two quadrants had tight sidewalk constraints which made it challenging to meet ADA compliance and tie back into the existing sidewalk or parking lot. In addition, signal detection was upgraded as well as traffic signal heads were upgraded to LED lenses.
The second location, US Highway 24-40 and North Star Drive, is a pedestrian crossing at the entrance of a local high school. Only being able to modify the sidewalk and pedestrian signal created some challenges for the team. The existing sidewalk from the school was approximately 20 feet wide, patched with a combination of asphalt and concrete, and had a steep slope, so the team had to configure a layout that met ADA compliance and did not cause drainage issues in the future.
To learn more about the ADA, please visit the US Department of Labor’s website at https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada