DRIVER ALERT: New traffic shifts in place on 8th Street in Colorado Springs
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Tuesday will be the first time for drivers to see the new traffic changes at the south end of the 8th Street improvements project.
As KRDO13’s The Road Warrior reported on Monday, traffic is reduced to one lane between Motor City Drive and Abbot Lane, and no left turns are allowed onto or off of Motor City Drive.
The only access to and from the Motor City area from 8th Street is at the top of the hill on Automotive Drive.
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) expects to start excavating work on Tuesday to replace a water main that was installed in 1968.
“We’re also going to be installing water valves because currently, the water line that’s installed now doesn’t have any valves,” said Cassie Melvin, a CSU spokesperson. “That means if there’s a water main break, we’re not able to shut off anything. So, it impacts the whole area.”
CSU said that the traffic changes will remain in effect for approximately 12 weeks.
With lane shifts also at the north end of the project, across the Fountain Creek bridge, the mass of construction cones, barrels and signs makes much of 8th Street look more like an obstacle course.
City officials said that traffic impacts there should be finished by the end of April at least until the water main installation advances to that area.
The northbound city bus stop on 8th Street has temporarily relocated a block north, near a Shell gas station.
Businesses along the lane closures remain open.
There are two corrections to Monday’s report: Drivers leaving Walmart at 8th and Abbot are allowed to turn left onto southbound 8th, and the water main installation will not cross Cimarron Street, as originally planned.
The total cost for the 8th Street project, which began last June, is $12 million; work should be completed this fall, after repaving work is done.
CSU confirmed on Monday that the total project cost includes $7.4 million for the new water main.