Community Involvement A Priority In Antioch Road Widening

Traffic backup and safety issues made widening a two-mile stretch of Antioch Road a priority for the City of Overland Park. An aggressive schedule was set, the request for proposals was issued and Affinis Corp was selected to design this vital improvement project.

“The immediate issue was to improve traffic flow and provide safer access to three Blue Valley schools while causing minimal disruption to area residents,” noted John Thomas, Vice President, Affinis. He went on to say, “With 3,000 cars a day traveling to Blue Valley West High School, along with the traffic flow to nearby Pleasant Ridge Middle School and Cedar Hills Elementary School, the resulting backups at the 159th Street intersection were causing a lot of headaches.”

“This project was a priority for Overland Park,” said Brian Scovill, P.E., City of Overland Park. “Widening Antioch Road between 159th and 167th Streets from two to four lanes and replacing the four-way stop at Antioch Road and 159th with a traffic signal greatly improved safety and efficiency, while allowing for future traffic demands.”

Scovill added, “Affinis Corp took all needs into consideration as they handled the design for us. They were committed to making our project a top priority and were always ready to assist us with the project’s challenges which included keeping residents informed through each stage of the project.”

“It was important to maintain traffic flow throughout the project,” added Thomas, “and we knew communication was vital. We worked closely with the city, the school district and residents by holding a series of meetings and meeting individually with concerned homeowners. It was important for people to understand the overall concept and the right of way issues.”

Dave Hill, Executive Director of Facilities and Operations, Blue Valley School District, recognized the communication efforts of both the city and Affinis. “The planning involved in working around school schedules was important, especially when the entryway was being constructed, said Hill. “I appreciate the excellent communication provided by the city and others who helped manage the project.”

Affinis’ design will deliver future rewards to Overland Park residents as this area continues to grow, keeping disruption to a minimum when it becomes necessary to widen this section of the thoroughfare to six lanes.The widening will take place by reworking the median, reducing impact to adjacent properties and saving time and money.

The project also included a recreational component through the expansion of Overland Park’s Greenway Linkage Plan. A segment of the trail now extends to 165th street and allows walkers and bikers to connect to the rest of the city. The three schools in the neighborhood also gain easy trail access through a series of new sidewalks that connect to the trail.