GBA’s ADA Upgrades Create Safer Tonganoxie Intersections

Project Overview

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 several intersections in Tonganoxie, 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.

Unique Challenges

The project encompassed two different intersections, each with their own challenges.

The first intersection, along US Highway 24-40 and 4th Street, had tight sidewalk constraints, which made it challenging to meet ADA compliance and tie back into the existing sidewalk and parking lot.

The second location, US Highway 24-40 and North Star Drive had a pedestrian crossing at the entrance of a local high school. The team was only able to modify the sidewalk and pedestrian signal, which created some challenges. The existing sidewalk from the school was approximately 20 feet wide, patched with a combination of asphalt and concrete, and had a steep slope. 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 U.S. Department of Labor’s website at https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada