Traffic impacts to increase at I-25 & Cimarron

The $113 million interchange project at Interstate 25 and Cimarron Street in Colorado Springs is entering a phase that will affect traffic more than has since it began almost a year ago.

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, Phase One of construction starts Sunday night with lane restrictions at the interchange.

“It will probably continue every night for the next month or so, as we work on I-25,” said Mike Ingram, project manager. “We’ll also be cognizant of special events, holiday traffic. We won’t have lane closures during those times.”

Until now, the project mostly entailed design work and relocating utility lines. The current phase includes lower speed limits, narrower lanes, traffic realignments, paving and building five bridges.

CDOT said by doing most of the work at night, drivers will avoid the heaviest traffic congestion.

“We don’t think it’ll be too bad even during the summer tourist season,” Ingram said. “We’ve worked on projects like this before and have a pretty good idea of what will happen.”

Ingram said CDOT will carefully balance the interchange project with a similar project at I-25 and Fillmore Street to avoid major traffic backups in two locations.

Jeremy Nedjl, who has lived in the city for 30 years, said he works near the project and is ready for the coming impact.

“I try to avoid (the interchange),” he said. “There are always alternate routes. You just plan ahead.”

CDOT expects to finish the project at the end of 2017 and said the project is on schedule and within its budget.

For more information, visit: https://www.codot.gov/projects/i25cimarronDB.