I-25 and Cimarron Upgrade Update

At the I-25 and Cimarron Interchange it looks more like the surface of the moon than a construction site.

There are no trees where there used to be and the Fountain Creek bed is wider. Not to mention these huge mounds of dirt.

Over the last several months, crews have transformed the property in preparation for the project. The next step, according to the department of transportation, creating a temporary concrete plant. The idea is to reduce the amount of truck traffic through the interchange and save money. CDOT engineers tell us that once it’s finished, it’ll be better, both from a traffic standpoint and from an environmental one too.

Dave Watt, the CDOT Resident Engineer, took a moment to share that part of the plan with us today:

” Rest assured, that we’re going to be planting that back with native trees, and native plants and grasses to revegetate the creek bottom, it’ll be a wider section of Fountain Creek, so it will convey flood waters better and it’ll be more attractive Fountain Creek as well. “

And, of course, Colorado Springs residents like Robert Shriver expressed what all of us are feeling:

” I definitely want to see it when it’s done. Seeing the progression from ten years ago to now, I’m just excited to see it get done and completed and have a not-so-sore sight on the eyes.”

Eventually, the plan is to create a safer interchange … all while restoring the natural beauty that was here to start with.

Changes this big don’t happen overnight. The project is expected to be complete in fall of 2017.