Residents View Updated Chestnut Bypass Plan

A revised plan to alleviate traffic congestion at a busy Colorado Springs intersection likely will become the approved version, a city engineer said on Tuesday.

The updated Chestnut Street Bypass plan was released to the public at a Tuesday meeting. The plan would change the Chestnut-Fillmore Street area from a six-lane to a four-lane intersection by moving part of Chestnut a few blocks west, reconnecting with Fillmore in an S-shape design near Parker Street.

More than 100 people attended the meeting to review the plan, many of whom complained about the plan’s earlier version last summer. City Engineer Mike Chaves said the latest plan addresses previous concerns about access to and from the area for residents and businesses.

While some neighbors approve of the changes, others remain unhappy that the project won’t include a sound wall to reduce noise, and will install a traffic signal on the steep Fillmore Street hill. Chaves said the $6.8 million budget doesn’t allow for a sound wall, and that the traffic signal isn’t a problem because traffic already starts and stops of Fillmore.

Chaves said the plan should be finalized this spring, with construction on the year-long project beginning in late summer or early fall.