New developments this week on the 8th St. project in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Drivers and merchants got some relief from traffic impacts accompanying the ongoing improvement project on the north end of 8th Street, but they'll be less pleased to learn that construction will take longer to complete than scheduled.

Earlier this week, crews reopened the northbound right lane over the Fountain Creek bridge that had been closed since the project began last June.

The lane change now has all four traffic lanes open in that area, significantly reducing daytime traffic backups.

(NOTE: Be aware that the right northbound lane on the bridge was closed again on Friday, so that crews could finish work on the new, wider sidewalk.)

KRDO 13's The Road Warrior found mixed public reaction.

"Oh, a big-time improvement!" said Chad Amberg, a local driver. "Just being able to make a left turn, and not have a line of cars all the way down is so much nicer."

Johanna Corter, owner of Coffee Roasters, described how the project has affected her business.

"It's really kind of hard to say because of everything else going on, too," she said. "The tourist season was really bad for us this spring. We're hopefully not going to feel that same hit for summertime."

Meanwhile, city officials revealed that delays with a water main installation mean that the overall $12 million project, which was supposed to end this fall, won't be finished until next spring.

The work has required a major traffic shift on 8th Street near the Motor City Drive intersection.

"We had to redesign some elements with the contractor, on the specifics of how that bore was going to work," said Ryan Phipps, the city's capital improvements manager. "So, we got a little bit later starting than we wanted to. But actually, it's going to work out well."

Phipps explained that a crew is boring under nearby Bear Creek for the new water main.

Progress on the main being installed between Motor City Drive and Cimarron Street will determine whether related projects — such as sidewalk construction and drainage improvements — will be completed before the end of the year.

Paving, the final phase of the project, won't happen until next spring.

In another unexpected development, crews found that the concrete sidewalk on the west side of the 75-year-old bridge still being repaired, was in worse condition than indicated by an earlier inspection.

"We'll spend the extra time and investment to make sure that side of the bridge is structurally sound," Phipps said.