Traffic Shifts and Detours Expected as Construction Continues in Pueblo
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — There’s so much road and bridge construction in the Steel City this year, it seems a good time for KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior to check on the status of four projects in particular.
City crews completed one project earlier this spring, ending a five-month closure of the Mel Harmon Bridge connecting Highway 47 to an Interstate 25 frontage road with a handful of businesses.
Workers improved the bridge structure, resurfaced the lanes, and made safety upgrades.
Anahi Arias, a manager at the nearby 3 Margaritas restaurant, reflected on how the bridge closure affected business there.
“It affected us because, since we changed the ownership, a lot of people didn’t know about the bridge,” she said. “And people saw the bridge closed, so they asked: Are you guys closed? Are you still open? How do I get there? So, it affected us a little bit.”
The bridge was built in 1976 — the same year that the adjacent Pueblo Mall opened — and was named after a noted community leader.
Two more projects are happening in the same general area: a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) replacement of five bridges at the redesigned I-25/US 50 East interchange and several utility projects along 29th Street west of the freeway.
On the I-25 bridges project, northbound traffic has shifted east, and the exit ramp to 29th Street is longer than before; the shift allows crews to continue building a new overpass connecting to US 50 East.
Damian Romero describes himself as a former construction worker who’s monitoring the changes.
“I don’t know if there are efficient enough traffic control signs that there is a hard turn before it,” he explained. “But I’ve seen numerous vehicles already slam on the brakes, or they don’t notice it, and they’re in the other lane. Do I like what they’re doing? I know it’s a big improvement.”
Finally, crews have begun laying new asphalt on a mile of 6th Street through downtown; drivers should watch for detours and lane closures in that area.
Meanwhile, paving work continues on US 50 between Pueblo West and the Fremont County line, and CDOT is installing cable guardrail in the center median of I-25 in northern Pueblo County.