Rainy spring affects local construction activity

The wet spring in southern Colorado is good for vegetation and lowering the fire danger but isn’t helpful when it comes to building.

The five-year street paving project in Colorado Springs was supposed to have started two weeks ago and was rescheduled for this week, but still hasn’t officially begun because of rain.

But a city spokesperson said weather isn’t delaying the project because other preparatory work can be done until conditions are dry enough for paving.

Some of that work includes upgrading concrete curbs and gutters, and milling street surfaces to allow better adhesion of asphalt.

Joshua Peterson, a board member for the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, said this is the second consecutive spring that wet weather has slowed new construction in the area.

“It makes things messy,” he said. “Makes things dangerous for crews to get up on roofs. Makes things extra muddy, which the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t care for.”

Peterson said workers are slowing their pace to keep job sites clean, but builders are losing money in the process, as demand for projects remains high.

“We’re hoping for a dry summer to catch up and dry out,” he said.