UPDATE: More traffic changes, closures this week on South Academy Boulevard project in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Lane changes and even intersection closures have been frequent in the ongoing project to improve two miles of South Academy Boulevard, between Fountain Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive.
Earlier this week, some traffic impacts began, and more will start this weekend.
Traffic on southbound Academy has been reduced to one lane since Monday morning near Hancock Expressway while crews excavate part of the street to install storm sewer structures.
That change continues until Friday evening.
A longer change begins on Friday night and will continue for two weeks, as Hancock, immediately west of Academy, closes until noon on Oct.3.
Crews will install new storm sewer pipes, pave the street, and rebuild the median and sidewalks.
The right lane of southbound Academy Boulevard will also close near Hancock to provide space for construction equipment and protect workers and drivers.
The project won’t be finished until 2028, partly because of a year-long delay as the city worked to avoid the negative business impacts associated with the similar project on the north end of South Academy.
“We’re coordinating more closely with those businesses,” said Ryan Phipps, the city’s capital improvements manager. “Again, we’re implementing the newsletters, the website content, the text alerts, trying to get our message out as best as possible with that project and our contractors. Doing really well. They’re staying on schedule.”
KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior spoke with four merchants at the nearby Mission Trace shopping center who told him that construction has had little or no impact on their sales.
However, it’s a different story at the Smoke Academy, owned by Mike Ezzat since 2011.
“If you want to talk only about the last two years, I have lost 70% of my business,” he said. “And this is documented already for what I report to the IRS on how much income I’ve made since, because people find it very hard to go around and come to the business here.”
Ezzat said that although there have been at least six other businesses in the center to close during the past year, he will try to hold on because he believes sales will improve after the project is finished.
“What else can I do?” he chuckled. “I’m between a rock and a hard place.”
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