New tunnel under 87th Street Parkway now open

New tunnel under 87th Street Parkway now open
Posted on 11/03/2022

Walkers, runners, cyclists and skaters are enjoying a safer, shorter connection between the Little Mill Creek Trail and Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, thanks to a recently opened pedestrian tunnel.

The tunnel under 87th Street Parkway just east of the Greenway Lane entrance to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park welcomes travelers with tall arched entrances on both ends. Safety features include an emergency call box, round-the-clock lighting and security cameras.

This north/south connection has improved safety and access to businesses and amenities on both sides of 87th Street Parkway.

  • Residents to the north benefit from direct access to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park – often noted as the heart of the city for its many amenities and events – plus an easier connection to the Bois D’Arc Pickleball Complex and Old Town Lenexa.
  • Residents to the south have safer access to the extensive Little Mill Creek Trail network and several parks lining the trail. They’ll also be able to travel to Ad Astra Pool more easily when Indian Trails Aquatic Center at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park closes for renovations next year.
  • Cyclists enjoy an uninterrupted trail system that offers more options to explore and get where they need to go.

Tunnel under construction The Little Mill Creek Trail, one of Lenexa’s most popular trails, previously came to a halt at 87th Street Parkway. Here, walkers and cyclists had to climb four flights of stairs, going more than 20 feet above the trail, then cross four busy lanes of divided roadway before they could continue their route south into Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park.

In August 2022, 87th Street Parkway closed in both directions while crews dug a trench across the road, lowered pre-cast tunnel components into place and rebuilt the road on top of the tunnel. To minimize inconveniences to drivers, this work took just five days. Over the next few months, crews finished the interior of the tunnel, installed electrical components and completed site work.

Lenexa received a $1.1 million grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to help fund this project.


Published November 3, 2022