Paving season essentially over in Pikes Peak Region, but several late paving projects still possible
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Last fall’s unusually dry, mild weather allowed some southern Colorado crews to complete street repaving jobs well into November.
That generally won’t be the case this season, with cooler, wetter weather at the start of this November.
However, officials in Colorado Springs haven’t ruled out finishing repaving work on two projects KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior has followed since early summer.
One project are the ongoing 8th Street improvements, highlighted by the installation of a new water water main on the north end of the street, between Cimarron Street and Motor City Drive.
Several weeks ago, after overcoming a few delays, crews finally finished replacing part of the old water main on the northbound side of 8th Street, in front of Walmart — requiring a narrow corridor of one traffic lane in each direction for four months.
The project has since advanced farther north, with traffic in both directions sharing the northbound side of 8th Street, between Moreno Avenue and the Fountain Creek bridge — where most of the businesses are concentrated.
Officials expected this phase to last for four weeks, and hope to repave the affected segment — which is in front of several businesses, including McDonald’s and KRDO 13 — by the end of the month.
But that’s only if weather conditions allow it, since the application of asphalt has specific temperature requirements.
Crew are doing some work on Saturdays to speed up the process.
A detour to the east of the construction was removed earlier this year when construction of an apartment complex began at the former site of the Hobby Lobby and the Office Depot.
Adding to traffic congestion in the area are ongoing repairs on the west side of the bridge, which occasionally cause traffic backups on the US 24 Frontage Road and on the south side of the 8th Street/Cimarron intersection.
Meanwhile, the city has the same intent to repave a stretch of Circle Drive near the Janitell Road intersections, where Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is installing a new water line.
However, repaving can’t happen there until the utility project is finished — and as of late last week, CSU said that project won’t be finished until the end of the month.
We don’t know if the weather, by then, will affect repaving.
Most drivers know that’s a very rough stretch, and have eagerly anticipated repaving there.
Finally, officials in Fountain announced last week that repaving is delayed until spring on two streets that intersect Fountain Mesa Road, a major corridor on the city’s east side.
Those streets, Cross Creek Avenue and Mesa Road — covering several blocks — were closed for two weeks for a project to install a wastewater line.
Officials revealed that it’s now too late in the season for repaving because of the lack of paving contractors available, and to ensure that there are no underground failures of the new pipeline through the winter.
The Road Warrior will keep you updated on whether any of the desired repaving work happens on the two Colorado Springs projects.
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