The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced that the planned closures for northbound and southbound Interstate 25 between South Academy Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue, originally scheduled for September 29 and 30, have been canceled. The highway will remain open in both directions during these times.
Ongoing lane reductions continue on southbound South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Coventry Drive as crews work on traffic signal and island installations. This reduced alignment is expected to stay in place through October 12. During this period, the two left turn lanes for the southbound I-25 on-ramp at milepost 135 are reduced to one lane, while two through lanes remain open on southbound South Academy Boulevard.
Motorists should anticipate delays, especially during peak travel hours, and are advised to allow extra time, maintain safe following distances, and merge early when approaching work zones. Those accessing I-25 southbound will need to move into the center lane ahead of time.
Starting Monday, September 29, the pedestrian bridge over South Academy Boulevard near Wilshire and Welton will be closed for about a week to allow removal and replacement of sidewalk on the north side of the bridge. Detours will direct cyclists and pedestrians to cross using Wilshire Drive or Welton Drive via Hartford Street or by taking the Fountain Creek Regional Trail.
Additionally, a shift of east- and westbound South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Fountain Creek toward the center continues so crews can work on outside lanes. This traffic pattern is expected until November 2025. Drivers should use caution as narrowed lanes persist across the southbound bridge over US Highway 85/87 due to ongoing bridgework.
These construction schedules are subject to weather conditions and may change.
The improvements are part of a broader project managed by El Paso County aimed at widening approximately 1.5 miles of South Academy Boulevard from two lanes to three in each direction between I-25 interchange past US Highway 85/87 up to Milton Proby Parkway. The upgrades include better drainage facilities, lighting, striping, expanded shoulders, modified merge lanes, sound walls, and additional bridgework. Completion is projected by early 2026.
CDOT has conducted safety assessments along this corridor as part of its efforts to reduce crashes by addressing infrastructure deficiencies contributing to accidents. The transportation enhancements are intended as mitigation measures expected over the next two decades to result in fewer deaths and injuries along four key corridors included in the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP).
This program covers improvements along I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard, and Charter Oak Ranch Road with partial funding from an $18 million BUILD grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation. According to CDOT: “The delivery of these improvements will strengthen and enhance the redundancy of strategic movement between the nationally significant El Paso County military installations of Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base.”
More information about these projects can be found at codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements.
