Colorado Springs considering need for five more overpasses on Powers Boulevard by 2030
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- In addition to the $44 million overpass project at the Powers Boulevard/Research Parkway intersection scheduled to start this year, the possibility of three more overpasses along Powers are being discussed by city officials.
During a City Council work session earlier this week, officials made a presentation regarding future traffic needs along Powers as the Colorado Springs Airport continues to grow -- with more passenger flights, two hotels and a new Amazon facility.
According to the presentation, the city is considering Powers intersections at Dublin Boulevard ($49 million estimated cost), Stetson Hills Boulevard ($63 million) and Barnes Road ($106 million) as possibly the next locations for overpasses by 2030.
"We'd also like to put overpasses at Powers and Airport Road, and at the entrance to the airport on Milton E. Proby Parkway," said Travis Easton, the city's public works director. "That's around $120 million for Proby and $60 million for Airport."
However, the five overpasses are currently not part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's 10-year plan for transportation priorities, so it's presently unclear how the additional overpasses might be funded.
"Maybe we can acquire federal money or private funding, as we're doing with the project to connect the north end of Powers to I-25," Easton said.
After the Powers/Research overpass, CDOT's only major project along Powers is installing a diverging diamond interchange at the Airport Road intersection -- similar to the DDI at Interstate 25 and Fillmore Street, and the DDI to be included in the Powers/Research project.
However, the estimated $45 million cost isn't available yet for the Powers/Airport project. Some local leaders previously expressed a preference for an overpass there, during planning for CDOT's current projects to improve transportation safety and accessibility around local military installations.
Easton said that land, acquisitions that might be needed, the space in which to get the improvements in and the volume of cars to get through an intersection are factors behind the cost of overpass projects.
