Johnson County CARS program provides funding for Nall Avenue improvements
Johnson County has teamed up with the City of Prairie Village and City of Overland Park to fund a road improvement project along Nall Avenue this summer.
The Nall Avenue project will decrease the number of lanes on Nall from 67th to 75th streets – what is referred to as a “road diet.” This will reduce the roadway from four to three lanes: one lane each way and a center turn lane with bike lanes on each side. Construction is taking place this summer.
Each year, Johnson County partners with cities on road and stormwater projects through the County Assistance Road System, or CARS, and Stormwater Management Program. These collaborations result in road improvements and flood control efforts that benefit the community.
Johnson County Public Works has provided more than $850,000 in funding for the project through the CARS program. The total project cost is $2.8 million.
Nall Avenue project reduces lanes, adds bike lanes
Construction on Nall Avenue is occurring from 67th to 75th streets, along the border of Overland Park and Prairie Village. This follows a traffic study by the City of Prairie Village, which found that a road diet could be done with minimal impacts to traffic.
Construction crews are performing mill and overlay of the existing roadway. Milling refers to removing the old asphalt layers and overlay refers to applying a new asphalt to the milled surface. Since it doesn’t require full street reconstruction, mill and overlay is a cost-effective while extending the life of the road.
Crews are also adding new road markings to reduce the lanes from four to three, and they are also adding bike lanes in each direction. Additionally, WaterOne performed upgrades to its water system in the area.
The road diet intends to increase safety along the road, with similar projects resulting in less crashes. The addition of bike lanes will provide better access for bicyclists as well, as they’ll get their own lane separate from motorists.
CARS program funding several 2024 projects
The Board of County Commissioners approves funding for the CARS program and Stormwater Management Program each year, identifying roadway enhancement and flood prevention projects in cities across the county.
Last October, the Board approved the 2024 plan for CARS and Stormwater Management Program funding. The plan totals $40 million, with approximately $20 million allocated for each program.
The plan includes 11 CARS projects in 13 cities this year. In addition to the Nall project, other notable CARS projects in 2024 include:
- $6.8 million for construction of a two-lane concrete thoroughfare on Quivira Road from 179th to 187th streets in Overland Park.
- $2.9 million to enhance Black Bob Road from 159th to 167th streets in Olathe, including construction of a four-lane divided arterial section.
- $1,072,000 to reconstruct Lexington Avenue from 95th Street to Sunflower Road in De Soto to a four-lane divided arterial roadway.
Earlier this spring, the Stormwater Management Program funded a stormwater project in Prairie Village, which raised Mission Road by five feet to prevent flooding. The county split the cost of the $4.4 million project with the City of Prairie Village.
Stormwater Management Program funding comes from a 1/10-cent sales tax authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 1988 and approved by the Board. CARS funding comes from a combination of a revenue from a gas tax and county support.
Learn more about the Stormwater Management Program and CARS program.