CDOT hosts public meeting on Environmental Linkage Study
The Colorado Department of Transportation hosted a second public meeting to discuss a Planning and Environmental Linkages study examining the impact of improvements to U.S. 24.
The study will examine operational, safety and capacity needs on a 40-mile stretch of the highway between Powers Boulevard in Colorado Springs and the town of Ramah, which is near the El Paso-Elbert county line.
The study is designed to identify socioeconomic, environmental and resource concerns and opportunities in that area.
The first phase of the 12-month project involves gathering public input.
The meeting was held at the Peyton Career Technical Education Facility on 18220 Main St, and begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Gene Stewart regularly rides his bicycle along the highway and wants CDOT to keep the shoulders free of debris that could cause flat tires.
“Other than that, I think the highway is in pretty good shape,” he said. “The westbound lanes have some large cracks that need filling.”
Trish Cimino has lived in Falcon since 1980 and has seen changes along the highway.
“The intersections, like here at Meridian Road, are becoming more congested,” she said. “There should be something to do to make it better, but I don’t know what.”
Teri Begley lives in east Colorado Springs and offered some suggestions for improving the highway.
“Just keeping it maintained for the wintertime driving, things like that, because I do go out to Falcon a lot and my father lives out here,” she said. “And the sped limit. Sometimes people drive a little too fast.”
Many drivers want CDOT to widen the highway past the current stretch between Colorado Springs and Falcon, and extend it to Limon, where it connects to Interstate 70.
“There aren’t any specific plans to widen Highway 24 yet,” said Andy Stecklein, project manager with CDOT. “That will come as a result of these study findings.”
But longtime Calhan resident Dan Christie hopes the highway isn’t widened.
“I like the community to stay small and remain isolated from the rest of the world,” he said. “I think as it is right now, C-DOT maintains (the highway) very well. More traffic and more of the world coming in here, kind of bothers me.”
CDOT held a public meeting last week in Falcon. Two more are scheduled in February and May of next year.
