Las Vegas Street in Colorado Springs has weeklong closure for Circle Drive bridge project

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Many drivers were surprised and frustrated when Las Vegas Street, under the quartet of bridges under Circle Drive, occasionally closed as a safety measure during construction.

The previous closures lasted for part of a day or a full day, but the latest closure continues for a full week — starting last Friday and ending this Friday.

Crews are now working on replacing the two westbound bridges, after recently completing both eastbound bridges; the latest work is under the bridge beside the railroad tracks along Las Vegas.

The street is a popular shortcut between Nevada Avenue just south of downtown, to Highway 85/87; access to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Springs Police Department's impound lot, and other businesses remain open along the street.

Jason Rupp, a Colorado Springs native, said that the benefits of the closure and the bridge project outweighs any inconvenience from the detour.

"It just shows that our tax dollars are going to what needs to be done," he said. "Our kids live in Fountain, and this is the route we take to go see them. I did paving for a while, so I appreciate what gets done in our town."

Riley Jackson rode his bike through the closure and had no qualms about doing so.

"I mean, it's the weekend," he said. "I know there's nobody working, so I could just pass through, not mess with anything and not be a burden to the construction."

However, KRDO 13's The Road Warrior did see a crew working along — but not on — the street; a crane and other construction equipment blocked one lane.

Occasionally, The Road Warrior also aw what appeared to be some drivers going through the closure by squeezing around the barricades.

Jackson expressed mixed feelings about the closure.

"Honestly, it helps to ride through here without the traffic," he said. "But at the same time, it brings more traffic everywhere else. I like going this way because it's the quickest way for me to get downtown and straight to the Marian House (soup kitchen)."

A related closure that has been in place since shortly after the bridge project began a year ago, is at the Willwood Tunnel — a narrow, single-lane tunnel under Interstate 25 between The Broadmoor World Arena and the south end of Janitell Road.

Many drivers used the tunnel as a shortcut but it became more popular when the bridge project started; it created too much traffic congestion because only one vehicle can pass through at a time.

Officials said that the tunnel will remain closed until workers complete the project at the end of the year.

Rupp said that the tunnel has an interesting history.

"It was made for cattle-running, for cattle to get through." he explained. "That was years before the interstate. That was back when my mom was a kid, back in the 50s. I was born in '71, so it was actually paved when I was growing up. And that's when people started using it as a through-way."

Rupp hopes that officials will eventually widen the tunnel so that drivers can use the route safely and more often.