I-25 traffic bottlenecks at downtown Colorado Springs: Why Can’t We Fix That?

Every evening, hundreds of drivers are stuck on northbound I-25 near downtown Colorado Springs as they try to get home from work.

With the major delays and bottleneck traffic on the interstate, we asked, “Why can’t we fix that?”

What is the reason behind the holdup?

Many drivers are confused about what causes the slowdown. That includes Luke Edwan, who commutes to and from Pueblo every day.

“It’s a holdup, but I don’t know what is going on. It seems like there are accidents and things but I can’t explain it,” Edwan said.

KRDO spoke with CDOT Engineer Jason Nelson to find out the reason behind the traffic chaos.

“Uintah specifically is adjacent to downtown Colorado Springs, so a lot of people use the interstate to get to and from work,” Nelson said.

Along with a crowd of commuters, the on-ramps in the area also contribute to the stop-and-go traffic due to an influx of vehicles entering the interstate all at once.

Help is on the way

CDOT says they will begin ramp metering specifically focusing on the downtown corridor as a way to help with the traffic congestion on the interstate.

“Metering will absolutely help with that. It will just allow fewer people to get on and hopefully people will find gaps and not cause so much turbulence downstream,” Nelson said.

Metering is already in place at many on-ramps in the Denver metroplex.

What is ramp metering?

Ramp metering is where red and green lights will be set up at interstate on-ramps to signal when cars can go during peak times.

“You’re looking at a two-second red, two-second green, probably up to a 10-second red,” Nelson said.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, ramp metering is one of the most cost-effective freeway management strategies.

What can we expect?

CDOT says there will be 12 metered on-ramps throughout Colorado Springs. The metered on-ramps are expected to be deployed sometime early this summer – once funding is finalized. Metering will be triggered when speeds on the interstate drop down to 45 mph.

CDOT is confident that ramp metering will help with the standstill traffic on I-25 near downtown Colorado Springs.

Do you see a citywide problem and want to know “why can’t we fix that?” Email the team at fixthat@krdo.com