VASD High School Infrastructure Improvements

Transportation – Design

KL Engineering provided engineering services for the public infrastructure improvements to support the new Verona Area High School, as a subconsultant to JSD Professional Services. The new high school site is located on the city’s west side, south of West Verona Avenue and adjacent to USH 18/151.

Project Tasks

KL Engineering was responsible for the structural design, traffic signal and street lighting evaluation along Main Street, and construction observation on the project. Specific project tasks are as follows:

• Design of a structure for Stewart’s Woods Road over a tributary to the Badger Mill Creek
• Design of a structure for Wildcat Way over the Military Ridge State Trail
• Retrofitting the existing traffic signal for the West Verona Avenue & West End Circle intersection
• Designing a new traffic signal for the West Verona Avenue & Nine Mound Road intersection with decorative signal equipment
• Evaluating and designing the traffic signal infrastructure for the West End Circle & Connector Road B-B intersection, including future ADA compliant sidewalk and crosswalk placement
• Providing a traffic signal communication system to allow for traffic progression and remote access to signal control equipment
• Provided construction administration for the City of Verona for the public infrastructure improvements

Project Challenges

Project challenges include the following:

• Expedited Schedule – the Public infrastructure design was completed in under 6 months to meet the schools opening date
• Developed design that met the needs of the school district, City of Verona, and met Wisconsin Department of Transportation standards

The new Stewart’s Woods Road bridge was sized to span the floodplain of the tributary to Badger Mill Creek. This avoided the need for FEMA floodplain impact approvals, which saved several months in the project design schedule. The 117.5-foot long bridge used 54W-inch prestressed girders to support a 47-foot roadway for bicycles and vehicles, as well as a 16-foot raised sidewalk, which provided continuity for the multi-use trail.

The new Wildcat Way crosses over the Military Ridge State trail. A new cast-in-place pedestrian underpass was constructed to provide uninterrupted trail access and was sized to meet DNR requirements for grooming equipment. The top surface of the underpass serves as the driving lanes for Wildcat Way. The underpass was sized to provide bike lanes and a 16-foot wide raised sidewalk for the multi-use trail.

Traffic work included completing one traffic signal modification and one new traffic signal along W. Verona Avenue. Design elements included signal heads per lane, flashing left-turn arrows, pedestrian signal accommodations, and signalization of the channelized right-turns. In addition, traffic modeling, operational analysis, signal timing plans, and temporary traffic signal plans were completed as part of the project.

The project also included design of decorative corridor street lighting with a dimming system, pedestrian tunnel lighting, and a fiber optic communication system. The fiber optic communication system designed with the project included three intersections and is an extension of the existing municipal communication system. The City of Madison is engaged in a maintenance agreement with the City of Verona, therefore design standards and preferences were coordinated between both cities. Construction activities were coordinated between the contractor and the City of Madison, which completed fiber optic splicing, termination, and work within the traffic signal cabinets.

KL Engineering was very excited to work on such a significant project in a community that is located near our Madison office. Many of our employees live in Verona and have students that have or will be attending the new high school. The project required coordination with the prime consultant, JSD Professional Services, City staff, and school district representatives. We enjoyed the collaboration involved with these stakeholders and the relationships that we have forged with them.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•