Opening of new Voyager Parkway bridge in Colorado Springs to be delayed at least a week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- For the second time in three months, construction of a new bridge on Voyager Parkway at the Spectrum Loop intersection has been delayed and it now will not open by Halloween as officials expected.

Tim Mitros, manager of the Copper Ridge Metro District, said that he learned of the delay last week from the contractor -- with the reason being that paving hasn't been done because required concrete support has yet to be completed.

"You know, there's just a lot of subcontractors involved, and everybody has to be on schedule," he explained. "And I do not know the reason (for) what happened, but that we had a hiccup. And for a big A-list project as this is. I really feel, you know, everybody's really been doing a good job, though."

Mitros hopes that the remaining construction will be finished, and the bridge open, by next Friday -- although weather could add to the delay.

He revealed that he had the unpleasant task of explaining the delay to surrounding merchants who have coped with the $11 million project since it began last November.

"They took it well," he recalled. "They've been understanding."

But the frustration may continue for drivers who have been unable to drive straight through on Voyager between Spectrum Loop and North Gate Boulevard; Spectrum loops around the area west of the project, and is where the new Ford Amphitheater opened in August.

"We'd like to resume traffic on Voyager as soon as possible to reduce the traffic on Spectrum, Mitros said.

The bridge originally was to open before the amphitheater but construction fell a month behind schedule when issues with moving utility lines developed.

Opinions have been mixed regarding whether the bridge project significantly affected traffic during the amphitheater's first performances.

Even after the bridge opens, finishing work will continue into next year.

"We won't probably have the full four lanes going across because we still have work to do on the bridge railing, things like that," Mitros said. "But we'll still have be able to get traffic across the bridge instead of using Spectrum as a detour. All four lanes, that'll probably be early next year."

However, he added that all lanes could reopen sooner because the project is ahead of schedule in other aspects, such as sidewalk construction and installing the bridge railing.

The metro district is fronting the cost of the project through property tax revenue from surrounding commercial businesses and several apartment complexes.

The district also financed the earlier two-year project to connect the north end of the Powers Boulevard extension to I-25; the Voyager bridge and the Spectrum bridge cross over that extension and were built by the district.

To get the Voyager project completed as soon as possible, the district agreed to be reimbursed by the renewal of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority when revenue from its penny sales tax begins next year.

Work is expected to start next year on the remaining segment of the Powers extension between Voyager and Highway 83; that project will require several bridges to be built and won't be finished until 2030 at the earliest.