PROJECT

Mission Road – 133rd to 143rd Street

We provided design services for improvements to a section of Mission Road extending from 133rd to 143rd streets in Leawood, Kansas. The milelong stretch of existing two-lane, open-ditch street was lined with overhead and buried utilities and serves a variety of increasing travel demands, including access to single-family home developments, schools and city facilities.

The improvements include curbing, enclosed storm drains, culverts, landscaping and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. The ultimate roadway section consists of two travel lanes with on-street bike lanes, new sidewalks and a multiuse trail within the 100-foot right-of-way.

The improvements were divided into three sections. All three sections included curb and gutter, storm sewers, street lighting and landscaping. The roadway was constructed using asphalt that meets the City of Leawood standards for a secondary arterial.

The first section — four lanes, plus right- and left-turn lanes, between 133rd and 135th streets — was widened to accommodate bike lanes, a continuous median, and an 8-foot-wide shared-use path on each side. The widening maintained the east curbline, with the expansion to the west. Intersection improvements included dual southbound left-turn lanes and a southbound right-turn lane.

Client

City of Leawood

Location

Leawood, Kansas

Region

Midwest

Services

Streets

Trails & Pathways

Stakeholder Management

Industry

Transportation

The second section, between 135th and 137th streets, consisted of two lanes with center left-turn lanes and partial curbs and ditches. The section was widened to a four-lane roadway with bike lanes 5 feet wide, a shared-use path 8 feet wide on each side, and a continuous median. The intersection at 137th now has left-turn lanes.

The last section, from 137th to 143rd streets, was two lanes with open ditches. Based on the traffic study, the section became two lanes divided, with left-turn lanes as needed. It now includes bike lanes 5 feet wide and shared-use paths 8 feet wide.

The Kansas Department of Transportation deemed the project an environmentally significant Categorical Exclusion (CE). A traffic study determined the typical section for Mission Road south of 137th Street. The study also examined the need for signals at 137th and Mission Road and dual left-turn lanes at 135th and Mission Road.

From the outset, stakeholder engagement would prove essential to the project’s success. With multiple residential and commercial developments along the route, the project team engaged in a variety of engagement activities — from public meetings at project milestones to one-on-one meetings with property owners. Other communications included informational materials, a project website and dedicated social media accounts. These coordinated activities opened opportunities for public input while providing a common baseline of understanding regarding project benefits, progress and decision-making.