Red Bridge Road Improvements from Holmes to Wornall Road

Red Bridge Road from Holmes Road to Wornall Road is a 2,600-foot-long corridor with an average daily traffic count of 14,000 vehicles. The narrow two-lane roadway with discontinuous sidewalks does not provide residents with safe or efficient access to transit stops, the Red Bridge Shopping Center, or nearby parks. The traffic signal and lane configuration at the Wornall Road intersection is outdated and congestion is common during morning and evening peak periods.

Lochner was selected by the Parks Department to provide design services to improve traffic movements, increase pedestrian accessibility, and enhance bicycle safety. These improvements promote Kansas City’s Walkability Plan and Livable Streets Plan by planting street trees, adding a continuous sidewalk on one side of the street, and extending the City’s pedestrian trail network on the other side without acquiring new right- of-way. The project requires close coordination with the utility providers. They are currently consolidating and upgrading outdated facilities, many of which are being relocated underground from a utility pole line which is being removed. It also requires a comprehensive public relations approach, including one-on-one meetings with numerous stakeholders, businesses, and churches located adjacent to the project corridor.

Lochner’s design widens the existing two-lane roadway to a divided two-lane facility with a five-foot-wide sidewalk added to the north side of Red Bridge Road, and a ten-foot-wide multiuse trail constructed along the south side. Streetlights will be added along the corridor to provide safer travel for corridor users, and ADA upgrades will be included throughout the corridor. The improved roadway template will align with the improvements Lochner designed for the mile long section immediately to the east, connecting the sidewalk and multi-use trail to similar facilities in Minor Park and along the Blue River linear trails. The project’s improved connectivity will provide residents with a non-motorized way to travel, promoting Kansas City’s plans for walkability and livable streets.

The Lochner design team conducted an alternatives analysis for the intersection of Red Bridge Road/Wornall Road. Alternatives considered included a single lane roundabout, a 2-lane roundabout, and various traffic signal / lane configuration modifications. Reconstructing the intersection, with designated turn lanes and two through lanes of traffic in each direct, will improve traffic flow in order to reduce traffic delays and emissions along Red Bridge Road, supporting Kansas City’s Climate Protection Plan. This was the only configuration studied that provided the desired level of service throughout the 25-year design live of the traffic study.

Since the project is located in the Blue River Watershed, Lochner’s improved drainage design will collect and treat stormwater from increased pavement areas using best management practices to improve water quality and control overall runoff. The two added lanes of pavement will drain to the median where bioretention cells will collect, detain, and treat the runoff before entering the sensitive Blue River Watershed. A detention pond was also created at the northeast quadrant of the insertion with Wornall Road to control runoff from the improved area, so net stormwater flows off the project site were not increased.

With multiple residences and businesses along the corridor, stakeholder and public involvement meetings were a critical component of the project. The Lochner design team used public open-house style meeting at the concept design stage and at the near final stage to gather public comments and suggestions, to better help identify local needs and refine the project’s final design. A final open house meeting right before construction starts is also planned.