‘We’ve already caught a few speeders’; Monday marks first morning rush hour for Medal of Honor Boulevard in Pueblo County
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — It’s tempting for some drivers: 3.3 miles of four-laned, brand-new pavement with no stop signs or traffic lights.
But the sheriff’s office is aware that the new Medal of Honor Boulevard, intended as a shortcut between the west side of Pueblo and Pueblo West, also presents an opportunity for people to exceed the 55 mph posted speed limit.
“We’ve already caught a few speeders,” said a deputy who stopped to chat with KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior early Monday morning.
Drivers can expect a regular presence by deputies patrolling the new road, especially with the new county jail on the east end nearing completion.
The easternmost mile is the Pueblo Police Department’s jurisdiction, and the remainder is in the county.
As of Monday morning, the sheriff’s office had cited three drivers for speeding — including one clocked at 78 mph in the posted 55 mph zone — and police had ticketed only one driver.
The county also cited three drivers for nor wearing seatbelts.
A police spokesperson said that the department has yet to establish an enforcement strategy for its part of the road, because it hasn’t been open long and it still doesn’t appear on maps.
Monday was the first weekday morning rush hour for traffic on the new boulevard; traffic was fairly steady in the first hour of the road’s opening on Friday.
The grand opening ceremony was meaningful to Drew Dix, a retired Army staff sergeant who received the Medal of Honor while serving in Vietnam.
Also providing remarks were County Commissioner Zach Swearingen and Public Works Director Greg George.
Officials said that the new road will provide more than better traffic flow; they also believe it’s a good start in providing what has been a landlocked area with infrastructure that should boost the local economy.
A new apartment complex and a new convenience store have recently opened northeast of the Medal of Honor/Pueblo Boulevard, and more development is likely to come — particularly with Pueblo city officials starting a plan this year to extend several streets and upgrade dozens of transit bus stops.