Cimarron construction continues, drivers should expect delays

Parts of Cimarron and I-25 will be closed starting Sunday night as reconstruction continues on the Cimarron Interchange Project. It begins at 9 p.m. and continues through 5 a.m. on Friday.

The Cimarron Interchange Project is the second largest highway project in Colorado Springs history, totaling $113 million dollars.

However, while the area gets an upgrade, drivers are facing temporary headaches in traffic.

“A lot of road construction, a lot of congestion,” said Elizabeth Silas, a Colorado Springs driver.

Silas commutes from Colorado Springs to Pueblo for work. “In the afternoon when I come back into Colorado Springs there’s about a 30-minute delay, slowing of traffic,” Silas explained.

CDOT spokesperson Bob Wilson says those delays should be alleviated in the next couple of years.

Once construction is complete in 2017, the project will provide:
• Improved interstate and interchange operations and safety;
• Improved highway alignment and improved ramps, acceleration/deceleration lanes for increased vehicle storage and safety;
• New I-25 bridge structures;
• New connection between 8th Street and Cimarron Street; and
• Improved trail connectivity and aesthetic treatments. Reconstruction of approximately 2,100 feet of Upper Fountain Creek, enhancing stream habitat

“That interchange right now is about 55 years old, so with the increase in traffic and population that we’ve seen over those 55 years it’s definitely going to enhance traffic flow through that area,” Bob Wilson explained.

“The people in this area will be much happier when it’s complete,” added Silas.