Pueblo County’s new Medal of Honor Boulevard now open!
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The grand opening of the new Medal of Honor Boulevard happened as scheduled on Friday, and many drivers were eager to try it out.
The two-year, $40 million project officially ended after an 11:30 a.m. ceremony on the east end of the construction site — beside the new county jail still being built.
The four-lane road covers slightly more than three miles, from the intersection of 24th Street and Pueblo Boulevard (State Highway 45) at the city and county line, to the intersection of Joe Martinez and Purcell Boulevards, in Pueblo West.
It was in May 2024 that construction began on the area’s first direct connection between Pueblo West and the west side of Pueblo.
Officials planned the road project, and the $150 million jail project, at around the same time.
KRDO 13 was there when local leaders got their first look at the finalized plan, a few weeks before Christmas 2021.
A unique aspect of the new boulevard is that its asphalt contains 12.5 million recycled plastic grocery bags — making it the longest road of its kind in the country, officials said.
The county tested the new material in 2022 and 2023 by paving four miles of Siloam Road.
Officials said that mix is more expensive to use but should significantly reduce maintenance costs.
A 2016 ballot measure by county voters to retain $66 million in excess tax revenue, financed the Medal of Honor Boulevard project.
Among officials delivering remarks at the event were Vietnam veteran Drew Dix, one of the Steel City’s four Medal of Honor recipients.