Interstate-25 Gap update released Thursday
State and federal highway officials held a media briefing Thursday to update the status of the I-25 “gap” project to widen the highway between Monument and Castle Rock.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration released the environmental assessment for the project, and will make it available for public comment beginning Friday through May 29.
Mike Lewis, CDOT’s executive director, said the project has no significant environmental impacts but welcomes public feedback in writing, online, by email or in person at public hearings
The $350 million project to widen the 18-mile stretch from two lanes to three lanes in both directions is supposed to start this summer, pending the approval of a $65 million federal grant, and be completed in the spring of 2021.
“We hope we get it but if we don’t, we’ll meet and discuss other funding options,” Lewis said.
CDOT contributed $250 million and local governments provided $35 million.
An unpopular aspect of the plan, an express lane in each direction that requires drivers to pay to enter, remains CDOT’s preferred option.
“The express lane is the best of the options,” he said. “That doesn’t mean other options aren’t viable, but this will get us the best reliability for the longest time into the future.”
El Paso County Commissioner Mark Waller is among opponents of the express lane concept and has said he’ll support it only if it includes widening the gap from three lanes to four lanes in both directions.
“There is an opportunity there to do it now — especially given that the Legislature has allocated another $500 million towards state transportation projects, in just the next coming year,” he said. “So I think the money’s there to do it now.”
Lewis disagrees, saying a larger expansion would be too expensive and time-consuming.
“It could be another couple of years, at least, before we move forward — if that’s what we’re looking at,” he said. “And the other thing is the travel demand doesn’t yet require four lanes. That’s really the driver. We need to do what we can to improve safety along the gap now. We can always go back later and add more lanes when we need to.”
To view or comment on the environmental assessment online, visit: http://i25gap.codot.gov. Hard copies are available at the CDOT regional office, 1408 Quail Lake Loop in Colorado Springs; the El Paso County Administration Building, 200 South Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs; and the Monument Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive in Monument.
To comment on the assessment in writing, contact CDOT’s Centennial office or the FHWA’s Lakewood office.
To comment in person, attend the May 16 public hearing at Liberty High School in Colorado Springs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
All comments will receive written responses. The comments will help officials determine whether to proceed with the current plan, change the plan or take no action.
A final version of the environmental assessment is expected in June.
