Cheyenne Mtn. Shooting Complex Construction Set To Start Soon

El Paso County Commissioners said construction should begin soon on the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex that is set to open near Fort Carson’s Gate 20.

The deadline for construction bids is Wednesday and commissioners said they plan to pick a winning bid by the end of the month.

Commissioner Sallie Clark said construction should start soon after that and the shooting complex is expected to be open to the public by late summer.

Fort Carson and community leaders broke ground on the site of the complex last year. Since then, they have been securing grant money and private funds.

The complex is expected to have three pistol ranges and three rifle ranges. Each range will have 15 shooting positions with a total of 90 shooting positions.

Clark said some of those positions will be reserved for military and law enforcement use. There will be a small admission fee for the public.

Plans for the shooting range have been in the works for years. The Rampart Range in El Paso County was closed down in the summer of 2009 after a 25-year-old Aurora man was killed in a shooting accident.

Clark said the new range will have more protections in place, especially because it next to a military post.

Clark also said changes to legislation have been proposed by U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) to allow for excise taxes from firearm sales to be used to develop shooting ranges.

A nonprofit called “A Soldier’s Friend” has been established to help raise funds for the shooting complex and military families.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 will continue following this story and bring you any new updates.