Establishment of the Kansas City GPS Control Network

Out of an increasing need for a reliable survey control system throughout metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri, grew the concept of regional cooperation among the area's municipalities and counties. With such regional cooperation and the assistance of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, Land Survey Program, a global positioning system (GPS)‐based control network was designed from six existing first‐order stations and seven benchmarks. The new control network includes 48 additional first‐order control stations and several upgraded NGS second‐order marks and benchmarks. This is the first phase of a multiphase project that covers over $1\text{,}000\mathrm{sq}\mathrm{mi}\left(2\text{,}400{\mathrm{km}}^2\right)$ of the metropolitan area. Participation of local land surveyors from private practice and government led to the success of the project. These surveyors, coordinated by the Metro Surveyors Association, aided in planning, and performed the correct monumentation and sketching of points to be surveyed. The survey was completed in two weeks in June 1987 using Macrometer II instrumentation. After delivery of the GPS data, local surveyors were contracted for astronomical observations on azimuth marks. This paper presents planning and logistics of the regional project and a cost analysis.