CDOT seeking $25 million grant for military-related road projects in Colorado Springs

Gov. Jared Polis joined a roundtable discussion with elected leaders, local planners, and the military community Wednesday in Colorado Springs.

During the discussion at the office of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced it has applied for a $25 million federal grant to partially finance four key road projects to improve access and mobility for the area’s military installations.

The projects include a mile of safety improvements along Highway 94 near Schriever Air Force Base, widening a mile of South Academy Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Bradley Road, 7.5 miles of safety and infrastructure upgrades on I-25 between South Academy and Santa Fe Avenue in Fountain, and improving access to Fort Carson’s Gate 19.

The total cost of the projects is $128.5 million, the balance of which will be covered by local funds.

Officials said the projects, which could take as long as 10 years to complete, would be an advantage in the area’s effort to attract the Defense Department’s new Space Command.

The projects also would help local military installations better handle growth and improve transportation in the area’s growing community.

“We think we have a good chance to get the grant,” said Shoshana Lew, CDOT’s executive director. “But if we don’t, we still plan to start on some of those projects as early as next spring.”

Some officials said while they like the proposed projects, they want to see more transportation provided for military veterans. Others questioned whether the projects will adequately address the area’s projected growth through 2045.

One official asked that more attention be given to Highway 115 because of the growing number of Fort Carson personnel who use it to travel to and from Pueblo West and Canon City, where more affordable and quality housing is available.

Don Cester, who lives near Highway 94 and Schriever, has mixed feelings about the projects.

“I have a concern that the local people who live in and around the base are not considered in this because we’ve never been approached or asked about it,” he said. “But I’m encouraged that something is being done.”