Academy-Woodmen Interchange Dedicated Friday
Business owners surrounding the new interchange at Academy Boulevard and Woodmen Road in Colorado Springs endured a decline in customers and sales during construction, but now look forward to better times.
“Our customers had a hard time getting in and out of the shopping center,” said Jennifer LaRue, a manager at Jamba Juice. “That was the biggest deterrent. They had to avoid it because they couldn’t get back to work on time.”
The interchange is designed to improve traffic flow at one of the city’s busiest intersections. Academy now passes under an overpass on Woodmen Road, flowing continuously with no traffic signals. The Woodmen section has bicycle lanes and sidewalks in both directions.
While most surrounding businesses remained open during construction, one of the city’s two Boston Market restaurants closed after sales dwindled. The owner of a dry cleaning shop next door said he lost two-thirds of his business and isn’t certain he’ll stay at that location. Both businesses are located nearest the overpass and are difficult to see by passing traffic in the new interchange.
Haanzs Sologenir, a manager at a Radio Shack store, said local leaders should do more to help area businesses recover from the construction impact.
“We can be more visible,” he said. “Nobody really knows if we’re here or not. Redo the exterior of the shopping complex. Make bigger signs. Add some more greenery. It’s completely dead here. It’s a very big eyesore, actually.”
Local leaders said workers completed the project’s first phase, stretching on Woodmen between Campus Drive and Stinson Road, 34 days ahead of schedule and on budget. A dedication ceremony was held at the interchange on Friday.
Work on the $42 million project began in September 2009. Design of the second phase from Stinson Road to Powers Boulevard is expected to start in mid-September, with construction slated to begin in 2014.
