Safer Streets = Fed Money

Get ready for three troublesome intersections to be repaired in Colorado Springs. The city was awarded 2013 Hazard Elimination Safety Funds to the tune of $938,593. The federal money is from the 2013 Federal Hazard Elimination Safety (HES) program. The HES program helps cities deal with high crash rate areas.

The money will go for three projects. One of them is the South Nevada/Interstate 25 southbound ramp intersection. Senior Transportation Planner Tim Roberts showed me the idea to make it safer. It’s had 82 crashes, mostly rear end accidents in the past three years. This chunk of intersection has the highest crash rate in Colorado Springs for I-25 interchanges that intersect with city streets. Rate is defined as the number of crashes proportionate to the volume of traffic. This interchange has 50-thousand cars going through it every day.

Roberts tells me the plan is to modify the median to turn left off South Nevada onto I-25 into a continuous turn lane. Roberts believes this will effectively reduce crashes.

The two other high crash rate intersections to be fixed include the Printers Parkway/Parkside Drive intersection, and the Platte Avenue/ Tejon Street intersection.

The HES program is administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation, with funding being distributed through the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Design and construction of the three projects will begin in 2013.