Major water main installation starts along Marksheffel Road on southeast border of Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A three-mile, $19 million project by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has begun to place a new water main along Marksheffel Road on the city's eastern border.

The project starts just south of the east gate of Peterson Space Force Base and will end at the intersection of Marksheffel and Drennan roads.

Alex Trefry, a CSU spokesman, said that the projects first phase -- from now until early January -- involves installing the new main under Marksheffel before it continues south on the east side of the road.

"After that, most of the work will be off the road, off the shoulder and in the dirt," he explained. "The main will be 24 inches in some areas and 30 inches in others. It's a transmission line that will transport 14.2 million gallons a day. Eventually, it will provide water to 52,000 homes."

Trefry added that the project will improve water service reliability and water system redundancy. 

"Making sure that there's a redundant loop in our system to where there's multiple feeds of water to certain areas, he said. "So, it's a best practice and it's important for reliability. That's what this project does. It's not replacing an already-underground water main. This is a new main."

Marksheffel is two lanes wide on the the northern end of the project area and four lanes wide on the southern end.

Trefry said that most of the traffic control currently in place -- lane shifts and closures, and a lowered speed limit -- are to protect the workers on the project.

"We really appreciate the patience while we do this important project," he said. "We really appreciate everyone driving slowly, respecting the traffic signage. And I appreciate the understanding for any delays that are happening or anything like that. We are really trying to minimize the traffic impacts here."