A public private partnership was completed in 2021 between the City of Lenexa and K&W Underground, Inc. to install a telecom duct package in a new development during a design build road project. The City of Lenexa and the landowner planned to develop a former rock quarry location into commercial, retail, and multi-family units. The major challenge with building utilities in this area is the existing ground conditions, “rock”. The City of Lenexa engineers and planners recognized that the ground conditions required a joint trench approach for the telecom providers to reduce the overall buildout cost for each provider, as well as reduce future damage to the city's streets and right-of-ways.

 

Rex Schick was contacted by The City of Lenexa to provide the consulting expertise to develop and customize the ideal conduit and handhole design that telecom providers would utilize for a cost-efficient network buildout in that area. Local and national telecom providers were contacted to determine participants for the joint trench project.

 

Four telecom providers and The City of Lenexa fiber network service team agreed to participate in the joint trench program. Additional conduits were also installed for future use to eliminate damages to roads and rights of way. K&W Underground, Inc. secured agreements with all participants to construct this conduit and handhole network. The extra conduits in this package were acquired by Fiber Conduit Solutions to sell to telecom providers that want access to this high value location. Since the initial installation, two additional telecom providers have purchased conduits in this package.

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This project is an example of how joint trench and extra available conduits can be utilized to benefit all parties including telecom providers, municipal governments, rights of way owners, land developers and end telecom users.