Two years of projects to increase pedestrian safety, improve traffic flow south of downtown Colorado Springs nearly complete
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — City officials have spent more than $10 million on several projects to improve the busy corridors of South Nevada Avenue and South Tejon Street.
That work should end this week when crews finish installing new traffic and pedestrian signals at the intersection of Nevada and Ramona avenues; a similar installation was performed a block south, at the St. Elmo Avenue intersection.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is teaming up with the city on those projects, likely because the intersections are between Interstate 25 and Highway 115.
It’s all part of the city’s Urban Renewal efforts to revitalize a largely run-down corridor once known for vacant buildings, crumbling infrastructure and heavy transient activity.
In the past few years, the corridor has attracted new businesses — appealing to more people who drive, shop and live in the area.
Previous projects widened sidewalks and bike lanes, improved pedestrian crossings, built a pedestrian bridge and repaired two existing bridges across Cheyenne Creek, applied new striping, lengthened left turn lanes for northbound drivers heading to I-25, and added a southbound right turn lane on the I-25 frontage road.
One aspect of the upgrades that seems unpopular is the construction of a new center median that prevents westbound drivers on Arvada Street from turning left (south) onto Nevada, and from crossing Nevada to Motor Way.
Some pedestrians also expressed frustration that the southbound pedestrian activator on Nevada at the Ramona intersection isn’t installed yet.
The projects cost more than $10 million.