Local road construction season nears halfway point

Much of the focus this construction season has been on interchange improvements at Interstate 25 and Fillmore and Cimarron streets, but a variety of other projects continue.

The start of the five-year paving project financed by the 2C voter-approved sales tax increase in Colorado Springs moved Wednesday evening to Garden of the Gods. The popular park will close early every night for three weeks to allow the paving.

From Wednesday through Friday, a westbound lane along a half-mile stretch of Woodmen Road will be closed during the day for construction work. The closure is between Shining Peak Lane and Cindy Place, and also includes a turn lane from northbound Union Boulevard.

The traffic backups that resulted did not please many drivers.

“I’ve seen drivers turn around and I may do it, too,” said Tim Jones. “I had no idea this was happening.”

“I have to take a long detour to get where I need to go,” said Julie Anthony. “A major inconvenience.”

The closure is necessary as workers begin to widen Woodmen Road in that area.

A section of Black Forest Road over Kettle Creek reopened Wednesday after being closed since last October. Workers replaced two 40-year-old culverts under the creek bridge that were damaged by flooding after the Black Forest fire in June 2013.

“I love the new bridge,” said Michael Phipps. “Now they need to repair the roads that people used for the three-mile detour.”

Federal funds paid for most of the nearly $1 million cost.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Colorado Department of Transportation held a briefing in Colorado Springs to provide updates on regional construction projects, including the widening of U.S. 50 near Pueblo.

CDOT is widening the highway between Purcell and Wills boulevards. The eastbound side should be finished next month; the westbound side should be completed next spring.

The agency plans to spend $360 million on projects in southern Colorado this year.