Heads up, commuters: major changes are hitting 8th Street this week, as construction work intensifies. The eastbound frontage road from 8th Street to US Highway 24 is scheduled for a two-month closure beginning Tuesday, according to the City of Colorado Springs. This road blockage is to facilitate the placement of new steel beams on the 8th Street Bridge over Fountain Creek, marking a notable advancement in the project's timeline.
The closure kicking off at 6 a.m. on Dec. 16 means drivers will need to adjust their routes, taking a detour to US Highway 24 just a block north, as the road from 8th Street to US Highway 24 heading east will be sealed off for impending concrete work, but on the flip side the westbound frontage road from US Highway 24 to southbound 8th Street will remain freely flowing, aiding local traffic. The disruption is part of a larger effort to add an extra northbound lane on the bridge and revamp the Midland Trail bridge with a new multi-use path attached to the bridge, aiming for completion by early 2026.
In further detail regarding the upcoming traffic disruptions, crews will be temporarily shutting down the right northbound lane on the 8th Street Bridge for beam installation, which starts on Wednesday, Dec. 17 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which three enormous steel beams, each one spanning 64 feet and weighing in at 9 tons are slated for securement onto the bridge infrastructure, the installation process is set to start shortly after the beams arrive around 7:30 a.m.
