Crews begin major roads project in south Colorado Springs area

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A four-in-one road project from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) aimed at improving military access, mobility and safety improvements has broken ground in Colorado Springs.

It's a massive project that involves sections of Interstate 25, as well as CO94, S. Academy Blvd. and Charter Oak Ranch Road.

It could bring traffic congestion for the next couple of years, but it's something CDOT leaders and Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers say is necessary.

"As the Colorado Springs metropolitan area continues to grow at an exponential rate, the Interstate 25 and Colorado 94 corridors are becoming strained," Suthers said at a press conference. "These corridors are experiencing travel time delays, a significant increase in traffic, and a crash, nearly every day.

Here's what the four projects will look like:

The first project goes along CO-94 between Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases. CDOT, working with El Paso County, has already begun work on this by adding two passing lanes, but they are adding a 'jughandle' to slow traffic congestion. This project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022, according to CDOT.

The second project is aimed to help people traveling between Peterson Air Force Base and Fort Carson.
The road on S. Academy Blvd. will be widened in both directions and workers will also do some bridge repairs. This will start in late 2021 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023

On the seven-and-a-half-mile stretch of I-25 S from S. Academy Blvd down to Santa Fe Ave., CDOT is going to add a median all across the corridor as well as a deceleration lane at the CO16 interchange. CDOT is also going to replace two bridges, repave the road, and widen the shoulder. No start date for this part of the project has been announced, but CDOT says it is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.

The final improvement will happen on Charter Oak Ranch Rd. Charter Oak Ranch Rd. is the only access to Gate 19 of Fort Carson, the largest employer in the region.CDOT says people avoid this road because it has poor quality, and in turn, drivers that could be using Charter Oak Ranch Rd. clog traffic using alternate routes like Gate 20. CDOT is going to rebuild the road, widen the lanes, implement a roundabout, as well as some draining and structural improvements.

The Charter Oaks Ranch Rd. project is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2022.