Heads up, commuters and weekend warriors, the latest on the South Academy Boulevard scene is a mixed bag of shifts and lifts that'll put your detour game to the test. Starting Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m., through the wee hours of Saturday at 4:30 a.m., southbound traffic on South Academy Boulevard is taking a nap between Bradley Road and US Highway 85/87, with crews shifting barriers for a lane shift over US 85/87 according to CDOT. Your go-around pivots you onto Bradley Road, down to Main Street, and swings you back onto South Academy Boulevard, so plan your playlist accordingly.
But that's not all, east- and westbound travelers on South Academy Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Fountain Creek will find their lanes hugging the center whilst construction folks work the outsides for drainage and noise barriers, and this dance is set to last until August 2025. They're not just moving barriers, they're installing them, and there's more: a shift of all lanes on Bradley Road going north under South Academy Boulevard's bridge got the green light, so slope paving can slide into place.
Those navigating the I-25 off-ramp to northbound South Academy Boulevard should mind the short acceleration lane that comes with the new alignment, expect less runway to ramp up your speed. And while we're talking tips, let's not forget that entrance ramps have trimmed merge lengths; so, bring your merging A-game, especially with the brand-new on-ramp from US 85/87 joining the South Academy Boulevard party. Weather permitting, these updates may shuffle, so keep your eyes peeled for any switch-ups.
The big picture? The South Academy Boulevard Widening Project is on a mission to loosen the belt from two lanes to three each way, tackling the recurrent bottleneck blues, and with improved drainage, lighting, and bridgework on the menu, this feast of fixes is expected wrap up by early 2026, but like any good meal, it's not fast food, it’s a slow-cooked stew of progress and patience that'll be dishing out safety servings left and right. Folks invested in the military footprint around El Paso County are peeking through the barricades, as these arteries bolster the connection between Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base, a network of national nerve centers that hinge on clear channels and quick pivots, vouchsafed by an $18 million BUILD grant to keep the wheels and wings whirling without a hitch as detailed by CDOT.
