In 2011, Riley County Public Works and the City of Manhattan initiated the second phase of reconstructing Wildcat Creek Road. This phase took the project adjacent to the Manhattan Technology Park and south past the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. The 1.2-mile-long street improvement project converted an existing two-lane asphalt and gravel roadway to a three-lane concrete corridor complete with curb and gutter and associated drainage improvements. The project also included the extension and looping of a water main to provide fire flows and the City of Manhattan domestic water service to the area.

Property and business owners were invited to a public involvement meeting hosted by SMH so the project team could better understand property owner concerns and access issues for the commercial businesses within the technology park. The construction phasing of the project was also a critical design element because of the large volume of over-the-road truck traffic coming and going from the technology park. Phasing the project to accommodate large trucks while creating a seamless transition for the drainage and street improvements was accomplished by understanding the needs of the technology park and working with property owners.

The project went on to win awards from the Kansas Chapter of the American Public Works Association and the Kansas County Highway Association.

LOCATION: Manhattan, Kansas

CLIENT: Riley County Public Works

PROJECT COMPLETION: 2011