Western Kentucky University

Cannon & Cannon, Inc. (CCI), in partnership with Element Design, was selected to provide engineering and landscape architecture services for circulation improvements at Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) Hilltop campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The project, which supports the goals outlined in WKU’s Hilltop Planning Study, focused on improving pedestrian safety, accessibility, and traffic flow within the university’s historic hilltop core—one of the most visited and symbolically significant areas on campus.

The proposed improvements included realignment of vehicular and pedestrian circulation routes, enhanced ADA accessibility, new pedestrian pathways, upgraded lighting, drainage improvements, and landscape enhancements. The plan also emphasized strategies to reduce vehicular traffic near key pedestrian corridors while maintaining emergency access.

CCI Transport|Traffic’s scope of work included:

• Topographic and utility surveys of the full project area
• Development of phased circulation improvement plans
• Construction documents, technical specifications, and cost estimating
• Bid-phase assistance and construction administration support

The project was phased to minimize disruption during the academic year, with major construction targeted for summer months. CCI’s design and coordination helped enhance pedestrian safety, reinforce campus identity, and improve long-term functionality of the hilltop core.