CDOT starts 13.5-mile repaving project on US 24 through Falcon, Peyton
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Interstate 25 through Colorado Springs and Pueblo isn't the only local highway getting some repaving work; a segment of US 24, northeast of the Springs, also will receive upgrades.
On Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) started a 13.5-mile repaving project between Garrett Road in Falcon and Smith Ranch Road in Peyton.
The $8.5-million project will improve a busy stretch of US 24 that is bordered by plenty of growth and new development; as well as provide smoother, safer driving.
Drivers can expect mostly overnight work, along with lower speed limits and occasional lane closures.
Work will include guardrail improvements, road striping and some sign replacement.
Another part of the project Is removing two old wooden bridge guardrails and replacing them with new steel bridge guardrails.
Crews also will add center line and edge line rumble strips -- the safety features many of us are familiar with that make a loud noise when driving over them, to wake us up if we're drowsy or falling asleep.
"But these will be a new kind," said Yun Han, a CDOT engineer. "They are quieter but just as effective. Loud enough to catch a driver's attention but not too loud for people who live close to the highway."
The project is scheduled for completion by the end of September.
Part of the paving area -- 2.5 miles between Garrett and Woodmen roads -- is where CDOT proposes to widen the highway in a two-year project that would start as early as 2027.
The agency said that the paving project would essentially start east of the proposed widening, and that there will be no conflicts between the two.
Many neighbors would love to see US 24 widened farther east to Calhan, and even to the El Paso/Elbert County line.
"Doing that might cut down on the fatal accidents we have along there," said Rosmary Smith, a neighbor. "We have a lot more traffic than we used to."
But Han said that such a widening isn't planned for the near future.
"I know that the area has grown, but I don't think that kind of widening is warranted yet," he said. "We do what we can as funding becomes available."
