Colorado Springs releases paving list for first year of 2C extension in 2021

Colorado Springs officials aren't wasting any time informing citizens about which streets will be repaved during the continuation of the expanded paving project that voters approved on Election Day 2019.

The city has released a list of the streets to be paved this year. To view the list, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/sites/default/files/2021_2c_extension_paving_list.pdf.

Neighborhood streets will be a major focus of the extension, comprising half of the streets on the paving list, as compared to 8% under the current project.

Travis Easton, the city's public works director, said that focus presents some challenges.

"It's a little more time-intensive," he said. "There can be more cars parked along the road, for example, to work around. More curvature in some of the roads."

Colbrunn Court, a block-long street in Old Colorado City, is among the side streets scheduled for re-paving this year.

"Just as with the current 2C focus on main streets, we'll have to do concrete work beforehand and coordinate with utilities to ensure they finish any projects they have before we start repaving," he said.

Workers repair curbs, gutters and sidewalks along streets scheduled for repaving, and upgrade pedestrian crossings to meet federal disability standards.

That work continues throughout the year, even in cold winter weather.

"The process of curing concrete actually generates heat," Easton said. "In fact, we often find (homeless) people under the tarps covering those areas because they're trying to stay warm."

Voters approved the original five-year plan, Question 2C, in 2015 and workers began construction in 2016. Mayor John Suthers made it a key point during the campaign for his first term.

Easton said that the original version of 2C, which officially ended at the close of 2020, generated an additional $11.5 million that will be used to perform extra paving while the 2C renewal is under way.

Barnes Road, between Powers Boulevard and Solar Ridge Drive, is among roads to be paved with the leftover 2C money.

In the initial version of 2C, a sales tax increase generated $250 million between 2016 and 2020 to finance the paving. Voters renewed the tax at a slightly lower rate (from 0.62% to 0.57%), but Easton said there will be little -- if any -- reduction in revenue.

"We think we'll generate the same amount because the local economy was still strong despite the pandemic," he said. "We don't know yet if the pandemic affected January revenue because there's usually a month delay in analyzing it."

Streets inside the city-owned Evergreen and Fairview cemeteries will be repaved, as will roads within the Valley Hi Golf Course.

The committee overseeing the 2C projects held its first quarterly meeting of the year Thursday, and members seem satisfied with the progress being made.

"I think the messaging in this is important in informing the public why certain things get done, when they get done," said committee member Jim Godfrey.

After both versions of 2C are finished, officials said that they will have repaved a third of the city's streets.