Colorado Springs official responds to public safety concerns in South Circle Drive bridge project

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The city's capital improvements manager says there isn't an unusual number of crashes at the south end of Circle Drive where a project to replace four old bridges began in December.

That manager, Ryan Phipps, responded to complaints from neighbors and drivers that the work zone is dangerous because of narrow lanes, numerous barricades, sharp curves and rough pavement.

Some of the concerns were generated by the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle in a DUI crash a month ago, near the end of the work zone at the Janitell Road intersection.

Phipps said that while the city is responsible for making upgrades to aging infrastructure, drivers are responsible for not speeding and obeying the lowered speed limit of 25 mph.

"And so, it's very important that when we enter those construction zones, we're not distracted by our phones, other things around us in the vehicle or outside of the vehicle -- but that we're really, truly paying attention to what we're engaging as a driver," he said.

He mentioned that while police do conduct traffic enforcement in the area, officers can't patrol there 24 hours a day; he also said that crews constantly monitor the work zone conditions and make improvements when necessary.

"We take the feedback," he explained. "So, we've heard there was some additional congestion at Circle & Janitell a couple of months ago. We took a step back and asked what we could do about that. We implemented some plans that helped alleviate some of that congestion. We've heard there's potholes in our traffic zone. We went out there, and we've patched that intersection since."

A resident of a nearby mobile home park emailed KRDO13 during the Good Morning Colorado newscasts and disagreed that the city has filled potholes in the work zone.

"If they expect the public to slow down and follow the posted signage, then they are not aware of human behavior!" the email reads, in part. "Unless to hold people responsible for breaking the law, nothing is going to changed! I honestly believe that if the city officials had to drive this every day, it would be changed!"

However, KRDO13's Road Warrior noticed that although some potholes are present, many of them have been filled at the Circle/Janitell intersection.