Highway 105 widening, repaving project in Monument to continue next year

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) -- A growing community producing more traffic is why El Paso County is making improvements to Highway 105, east of Interstate 25.

Work on the $14.6 million project began in mid-July and won't be completed until sometime next year, said project manager Alyssa Werre.

"We're working on Saturdays to try and remain on schedule," she said.

Crews are currently removing old pavement and widening the highway to four lanes between Jackson Creek Parkway and Knollwood Drive; the project covers a mile-long stretch that will stop at Lake Woodmoor Drive.

To cushion the impact of increased traffic, crews are applying nine inches of fresh asphalt; that compares to 7.5 inches put down this week on part of the improvement project on South Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs.

"There's a school and a church in the immediate area that adds to the traffic," Werre said. "Much of the increased traffic is residents and commuters."

She added that the county eventually wants to improve the highway farther east, to the Highway 83 intersection -- a total distance of approximately five miles.

Werre revealed that part of the preparation for the project included establishing a temporary roundabout just east of the work zone, at the intersection of Woodmoor Drive and Lake Woodmoor Drive, earlier this year.

Some viewers sent emails to KRDO 13 during the first month of The Road Warrior coverage in February, saying that the temporary roundabout confused drivers and created unsafe traffic conditions.

"Because of the (Highway 105) project, we were detouring traffic into that particular area," Werre explained. "The roundabout helped -- mostly -- to keep traffic moving, especially during school drop-off and pick-up times. It was in place for about five months late last (school) year and we pulled it after school stopped."

The project's greatest impact may be to the Maverik convenience store at the corner of Highway 105 ajd Knollwood.

"The direct highway is closed because of construction," an employee said. "Makes it harder for customers to get in and out."

Some drivers say that navigating through the work zone can be challenging at night if cones and barrels are knocked down or blown over.