Say goodbye to the traffic cones: This week and next, several major construction projects are wrapping up or finishing key stages around El Paso County.
Here are a few places drivers might see less construction traffic:
Voyager Bridge
Depending on weather conditions, crews are planning to open the Voyager Bridge at Powers Boulevard on Sunday to a single lane of traffic while construction continues. The parkway has been closed at Powers since November 2023.
The bridge is one stage of a multiple-decade project to extend Powers Boulevard from Interstate 25 to Interquest Parkway. Colorado Springs civil engineer Ryan Phipps said that the bridge project was necessary to alleviate traffic concerns from the much larger extension project.
"This part itself was accelerated to avoid future impacts to the traveling public," he said.
The new bridge was part of a round of taxpayer funding from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority. The next wave of projects includes the Powers extension and must be completed by 2034.
After being designated a priority project, the Voyager Bridge was turned over to the Copper Ridge Metro District so that financing for construction could start before PPRTA funds became available. Colorado Springs plans to take back the project and reimburse the metro district with PPRTA money in 2025.
Construction will continue on the bridge until early 2025, weather permitting.
Circle Drive bridges
Near-completion of the eastbound section of Circle Drive bridges between Janitell and Monterey roads was met with fanfare Thursday, as Mayor Yemi Mobolade and a band from nearby Harrison High School celebrated the newly paved roadway.
The eastbound section, set to open around Thanksgiving, signals the near halfway point for a $40 million project also funded as a priority project for the PPRTA.
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The new bridges replace aging structures built in 1963 and add wider pedestrian sidewalks. Construction began in November of last year.
Construction will continue replacing old structures and building the westbound bridges until the end of 2025.
Meridian and Rex road projects
El Paso County has wrapped up construction that started early this year to widen and improve Rex and Meridian roads near Falcon and Black Forest.
The project improved the intersection by installing a traffic signal and improving sight distance. Meridian has also been widened to four lanes with turn lanes on Rex Road.
About $8.8 million of the $9.9 million project was paid through El Paso County's road impact fee funds, which are assessed from new developments in the county based on how they will affect traffic.
The county cited an increase in crashes at the intersection logged by the Colorado Department of Transportation as one of the reasons for the project.
According to a September press release, the improvements were expected to be done ahead of schedule in early November with no remaining construction closures. Next week, the county is hosting a ribbon-cutting.
Colorado 105
After a year and a half, El Paso County has reached a major milestone in the project to improve Colorado 105. The road is now open to traffic after the removal of construction barriers, and the speed limit is upped from 20 to 30 mph through the construction zone.
The project is has extended the four-lane section just east of Jackson Creek Parkway to Lake Woodmoor Drive. It also included multi-use shoulders, pedestrian lanes and sidewalks, and the replacement of the traffic signal at Knollwood Drive.
County officials urge continued caution as construction continues on final features. Traffic will be diverted to inner lanes.
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