Progress made on paving project in north Colorado Springs but frustration remains for drivers
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — It’s happening four years later than expected, but we’re finally seeing progress on a paving project at a major intersection east of the Air Force Academy (AFA).
Many drivers have often complained to KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior about poor road conditions at the intersection of North Gate Boulevard (in city jurisdiction) and Struthers Road (in El Paso County jurisdiction).
Within the past month, the city has repaved the eastbound lanes of North Gate between the Interstate 25 northbound exit ramp and the bridge over Smith Creek, and also filled numerous potholes at the intersection.
The improvements are part of a redesigned entrance to the Western Museum of Mining and Industry that organizers celebrated earlier this month.
However, the city won’t pave the westbound lanes of North Gate until the county starts and completes a major drainage project along Struthers, on the east side of a hill between the intersection and a new roundabout at the top of the hill.
“The county project will be resuming, or will be happening, in 2026, next year,” said Ryan Hershberger, the city’s project manager for the North Gate paving. “So, we’ll likely see city streets in the 2C program do their overlay follow the county project.”
It’s unclear when the county drainage project will be finished; The Road Warrior is waiting for an update from county officials on the matter.
Douglas Jenkins, a viewer who contacted The Road Warrior for last summer’s story, said that another reason for delays appears to be the interest or involvement of several entities.
“The county has said that the city is involved, the Air Force Academy is involved, CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) is involved — and all of that involves coordination of all these different projects,” he explained.
Several weeks ago, a crew was working on Gleneagle Drive, east of the Struthers roundabout, but information on the nature of that work and its relation to the drainage project is unavailable.
According to the county website, the drainage project will cost $4.8 million.
Drivers told The Road Warrior that while they’re glad to finally see some paving done, they’re frustrated that the work is taking so long, and they don’t know how much longer they’ll have to wait.
“In the meantime, the bad parts of the road just keep getting worse,” Dave Hardin told The Road Warrior. “I’ve lived in this location for about eight years, and it’s probably been within the last two years that it’s gotten really bad. And that’s been the frustrating thing, is that it’s just been bad for a long time.”