Two major closures on Dublin Boulevard in northeast Colorado Springs delayed before scheduled start Tuesday
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — City officials announced late last week that they are delaying two closures on busy Dublin Boulevard, west of Marksheffel Road, that were to start Tuesday morning and continue through the end of July.
The closures were to be at the intersection of Dublin and Peterson Road, and on several blocks of Dublin between Fieler Drive and Mustang Rim Drive.
A city release Friday afternoon — going into the Memorial Day holiday weekend — did not explain the reason for the closure, but stated that more information will be available later this week.
The closures are part of the Dublin Improvements Project first reported last year by KRDO 13's The Road Warrior; it's a $15 million project to widen Dublin from two to four lanes between Marksheffel and Peterson and tie into the ongoing widening of Marksheffel.
Other benefits will include improving drainage of groundwater and stormwater into nearby Sand Creek; building a raised center median and a ten-foot sidewalk on both sides of Dublin; creating more trail connections to Sand Creek; and installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Dublin and Issaquah Drive.
This is the same area in which an underground spring caused a continuous flow of water over Dublin, west of the Peterson intersection, that was a splash and ice hazard for drivers for much of last year before city crews finally fixed the problem.
Some neighbors were surprised to hear about the closure delay, saying that communication with the city during the project hasn't been good.
"I mean, it definitely needs to be done.," said Bobbi Glenn. "I'm glad to see that we're finally making some progress here. But a little inconvenient for where we live. Would have been nice to have more advance notice."
However, city officials always remind citizens that they can find information on nearly any project at the project website on the city's homepage or by calling the Public Works Department; citizens also can sign up for text alerts to receive the latest construction and traffic updates.
Some citizens my be unaware of those options, or unwilling to take the time to consider them.
It's the second time a scheduled closure in the area was delayed; last month, officials announced a two-week delay in closures at the start of the project to establish new traffic patterns.
Other neighbors have accepted the project or are taking it in stride.
"Yeah, you just get used to it," said Gabriel Ribeiro. "You pick the perfect times to go out, and you kinda figure it out -- and then those are the times when you go out."
Sheila DeLorenzo agrees.
"But I think as long as they get it done in a timely manner, I love it," she said. "I love the idea. I think we need more, because the traffic is crazy."
