UPDATE: Crews cancel Thursday’s planned closure of right lane of northbound 8th Street over Fountain Creek in Colorado Springs
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Continued work on the 8th Street bridge over Fountain Creek was why crews planned a daytime closure of the right northbound lane during the middle of the day on Thursday.
A flashing message sign alerted drivers that the closure would start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m., between the rush hour periods.
However, an on-site supervisor said that the closure wasn’t necessary because crews were able to access an area that required heavy equipment close to the right lane.
The closure would have lengthened the time required for drivers to access 8th Street from the Take 5 car wash exit road and to turn north onto 8th from Garner Street.
A city spokesman said the lane closure decision wasn’t made until Wednesday afternoon, but that drivers should be prepared for unexpected closures and lane shifts during the project.
The current traffic configuration in that area has created a fairly tight squeeze for traffic, as drivers navigate narrower lanes across the bridge.
Because construction has closed one of the two lanes on the US 24 Frontage Road from 8th Street, northbound drivers must make an abrupt right turn to enter the remaining open lane — causing many drivers to jump the curb there.
The bridge is the key focus of the first phase of the $12 million improvement project on busy 8th Street that began two months ago.
Crews have removed the previous pedestrian bridge on the northbound side and will replace it with a wider sidewalk, or multi-use path, that will create more space for pedestrians and cyclists and connect to the nearby Midland Trail.
Workers are also taking the opportunity to perform much-needed maintenance on the 75-year-old bridge.
Another step is to build a dedicated northbound right-turn lane onto the frontage road to avoid slowing traffic flow in the two northbound lanes.
Pedestrians and cyclists can expect occasional sidewalk closures and concrete work during the project.
The project’s second phase starts this winter with the replacement of a Colorado Springs Utilities water main between Cimarron Street (US 24) and Motor City Drive.
Crews will repave the affected stretch of pavement next summer.
Other project goals include drainage work to prevent flooding and erosion from hills above 8th Street on Moreno Avenue and Lower Gold Camp Road, and installing sidewalks and curbs in front of businesses between Costilla Street and Bear Creek on the west side of 8th Street.