Overnight closures and traffic detours are scheduled for South Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs during the week of November 2, as part of ongoing construction activities under the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Project. The work includes bridge expansion joint repairs and other infrastructure improvements.
Closures will affect northbound and southbound lanes at various segments between Interstate 25 (I-25), CanAm Highway (US 85/87), Bradley Road, and Milton Proby Parkway from Sunday, November 2 through Friday, November 7. Each closure is planned to take place overnight from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., with detour routes posted for drivers.
Additionally, access to the Fountain Creek Regional Trail north of South Academy Boulevard at Maxwell Street and Wilshire Drive will be closed beginning Friday, October 31 for approximately one week to allow sidewalk removal and replacement. Cyclists and pedestrians are directed to use alternative crossings via Wilshire Drive, Welton Drive, Hartford Street or the pedestrian bridge over South Academy Boulevard.
Traffic on US 85/87 under the South Academy Boulevard bridge will be temporarily shifted into a head-to-head configuration on Sunday night to facilitate bridge work. Ongoing lane reductions continue along both directions of South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Coventry Drive for signal and island upgrades through November 9.
Drivers should expect delays during peak travel times due to these closures. Motorists are advised to “allow extra time, maintain safe following distances, and merge early and safely when approaching the work zone.” Those accessing southbound I-25 are reminded that they “will need to shift lanes well in advance.”
A temporary full closure is also scheduled for the southbound I-25 exit slip ramp at South Academy Boulevard on Wednesday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while crews conduct ditch work.
The east- and westbound alignment shift of South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Fountain Creek will remain until November 2025 as outside lane work continues. Lane narrowing across the northbound bridge over US 85/87 is also ongoing.
All scheduled closures are subject to weather conditions.
The current project focuses on widening a southern section of South Academy Boulevard—approximately one-and-a-half miles—from two lanes to three in each direction. The effort aims to reduce congestion by adding capacity while improving drainage facilities, lighting, striping, shoulders, merge lanes, sound walls, and bridges. The project is managed by El Paso County with an expected completion date in early 2026.
A safety assessment conducted by CDOT found that transportation improvements are necessary mitigation measures intended “to reduce crashes, improve infrastructure, and address physical deficiencies that contribute to crashes in the corridor.” Over two decades following completion across four MAMSIP corridors—including I-25—officials estimate fewer deaths and injuries as a result of these changes.
The Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP) spans several key roadways: I-25; Colorado Highway 94; South Academy Boulevard; Charter Oak Ranch Road. According to CDOT’s website codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements , this program supports efficient mobility for military installations such as Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base in El Paso County. The program receives partial funding from an $18 million BUILD grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation.
