New Medal of Honor Boulevard linking west Pueblo, Pueblo West to open on Friday
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A highly-anticipated project that took nearly two years to complete and cost almost $40 million, officially ends on Friday when officials hold a grand opening for the new Medal of Honor Boulevard.
The 3.3-mile, four-lane road will provide the area with its first direct route between the Pueblo Boulevard/24th Street intersection on Pueblo's west side, and the intersection of Joe Martinez and Purcell boulevards in Pueblo West.
Workers built the road through the Honor Farm Open Space, and is part of a larger project to build a new Pueblo County Jail at the east end of the road.
Officials announced late last Friday afternoon that the road will open to traffic after an 11:30 a.m. ceremony this Friday morning, beside the jail at the intersection of Medal of Honor Boulevard and Dockum Road.
The opening of the new road -- which essentially is an extension of Joe Martinez Boulevard -- may ease traffic congestion on US 50 to the north, which has long been the only direct connection between Pueblo and Pueblo West.
In an effort to improve travel through Pueblo's west side, officials also want to eventually build a bridge that would cross a mesa and railroad tracks on 24th street; those geographical barriers currently separate much of the west side from the rest of the city.
KRDO 13's The Road Warrior first reported on the idea in January, and officials say that a bridge would create a direct connection between Interstate 25 ad Pueblo West.
"We were just talking about how much we need that," said west Pueblo residents Patricia Rush and her daughter, Amanda Bull, while driving through the area. "The new road is great, but a bridge on 24th Street would be even better.
Some drivers said that they'd like to see Medal of Honor Boulevard's wide configuration on the three miles of Joe Martinez Boulevard, west to where it ends at McCulloch Boulevard.
Officials also plan to spend $12 million over the next four years to make a variety of traffic, parking and pedestrian upgrades near the new road and elsewhere in the area.
"Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to the new road," said Kevin Subia, of Pueblo West. "It's gonna save us a lot of commute time, a lot of gas. We go back into Pueblo all the time, so it's definitely gonna be a big convenience. Hopefully, we'll also get some businesses along the roadside."
Funding for the new road came from a voter-approved ballot measure in 2016 that allowed Pueblo to keep $66 million in surplus tax revenue.
