Attention, drivers in Colorado Springs: get ready to adjust your routes. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), South Academy Boulevard is undergoing a serious makeover. Starting Wednesday, June 4, and continuing through Thursday, June 5, from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., southbound traffic will be detoured due south of US Highway 85/87 to Coventry Drive for barrier relocation and new lane striping.
The detour, necessary for shifting lanes over the Fountain Creek bridge, will reroute southbound traffic onto US 85/87, northwest to B Street, down south on Magrath Avenue, and finally back east onto South Academy Boulevard. Travelers aiming to connect with southbound South Academy from US 85/87 will instead travel south to Mesa Ridge Parkway, glide west to northbound Interstate 25, and take exit 135 to continue onto South Academy. Amidst these announced closures, according to CDOT.
The changes don't stop there. On the heels of the temporary closure, South Academy Boulevard will condense to a single lane southbound over the Fountain Creek bridge as of 4:30 a.m. on June 5. With the inner portion of the bridge in need of rehab, drivers can expect this arrangement to last around 30 days. CDOT urges motorists to proceed with caution during this period or to find alternative pathways. Further interruptions will occur from 7 p.m. on Friday, June 6, to 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, as crews perform bridge jacking operations on the US 85/87 bridge, resulting in another full closure of southbound South Academy Boulevard between Bradley Road and US 85/87.
Additionally, we've learned that Bradley Road under South Academy Boulevard is witnessing a shift of all lanes to the north as slope paving efforts progress. The southbound bridge over US 85/87 is not spared either, with reduced lane widths that demand vigilant driving. During these ongoing maneuvers, northbound I-25 off-ramp traffic to South Academy Boulevard has entered a new alignment, challenging drivers with a short acceleration lane and shortened merge lengths.
The overarching South Academy Boulevard Widening Project and its cohort, the Interstate-25 Safety and Efficiency Improvements, aim to address long-standing congestion and safety issues. These efforts are a part of the larger, BUILD grant-aided Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program, designed to enhance movement between key military installations of El Paso County. Proactively informed by CDOT's safety assessment, the project anticipates reductions in crashes, injuries, and fatalities over the next two decades.
