Paving project begins on north end of Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Crews will spend overnight hours for the rest of the month removing old asphalt and applying new asphalt to a nearly mile-long stretch of North Academy Boulevard.

Work started overnight Sunday between Voyager Parkway and Shrider Road, a busy corridor bordered by numerous businesses, strip malls and shopping centers; it's also near Chapel Hills Mall, Interstate 25 and the Air Force Academy.

According to a city release issued Friday, the project began with the milling, or removal, of old pavement; actual paving is scheduled to start next week.

However, a crew member said that some minor paving was done.

"We repaved some of the ramps in and out of the businesses," he said. "Most of the paving starts next week."

Although the release listed working hours of between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. -- longer than the eight-hour shifts that are more common for paving projects -- the crew member said that work ended for the night at 5 a.m.

Academy has three lanes in both directions and at least one lane each way will be closed during the project, the overnight work is designed to minimize traffic impacts.

The city asks drivers to use Woodmen Road, south of the project, as a detour -- or to simply avoid the area during overnight hours.

This is part of the city's 2C expanded street paving program that is financed by a voter-approved sales tax increase; on Election Day, voters will decide whether to extend the tax for ten years starting in 2026.