After a year of I-25 gap construction, what’s still to come?

It’s been just over a year of drivers having to face near-constant construction in the Interstate 25 gap between Monument and Castle Rock.

In September 2018, crews broke ground on the north side of the interstate, starting Phase 1, but just months later, the 18-mile stretch became infested with orange cones, switched lanes, and lots of traffic.

Colorado Department of Transportation Spokesman Bob Wilson says crews are doing the entire interstate at once, rather than some phases a time because it’s more efficient and safer.

“You don’t want to have a situation in this particular instance where you go from three lanes to two lanes, back to three lanes or go from three lanes to two lanes. That would create too many traffic conflicts,” Wilson explains.

The next project that will impact drivers is the demolition of the bridge connecting Spruce Mountain Road and I-25.

Starting Sunday, ” southbound I-25 will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. During the closure, traffic will funnel into one lane just north of Spruce Mountain Road (main Larkspur interchange — Exit 173), where all traffic will exit,” according to a press release sent earlier this week.

The bridge is used as on-ramp for drivers coming off Spruce Mountain road and heading north. For the next nine months, it won’t be an option. Motorists will have to use on-ramp and Upper Lake Gulch Road.

The bridge at County Line Road, connecting El Paso and Douglas County, is also getting expanded.

Wilson says the counties came together to fund the expansion and want to do it now to prevent future construction when the gap construction is complete.

” It’s going to be widened to two lanes each direction and 10-foot shoulders, one on each side,” CDOT says.

There is no set date on when construction on the County Line bridge will begin.

KRDO Only 2019