Weather, North Gate changes have no effect on traffic for Air Force Academy graduation Thursday
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — “Will it rain during the graduation ceremony?” and “Will the Thunderbirds fly?” were likely the two big questions being asked in the hours before Thursday morning’s commencement exercises at the Air Force Academy.
Several hours before the ceremony’s scheduled start, overnight rain had stopped but clouds hung low over the Academy grounds.
A light drizzle fell throughout the remainder of the morning but there was no traffic congestion to speak of.
Assuming that the Thunderbirds — the Air Force’s aerial performance squadron — takes to the skies for their popular performance at the end of the ceremony, authorities remind drivers to not stop on the shoulders of Interstate 25 to watch the jets.
A fact that many people may not realize is that the six-mile stretch of the interstate between the North and South gates is on Academy property.
Drivers attending Thursday’s ceremony should be aware that several Academy roads around Falcon Stadium, the event location, will be closed from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Attendees at the North Gate will notice two things different; A roundabout that was built last summer and the opening of the new Polaris Hotel nearby.
The roundabout construction closed the North Gate for two weeks, shifting all inbound and outbound traffic to the South Gate; however, the Academy considers that to be its main gate, and has more lanes to handle increased traffic.
What likely most eased traffic congestion is not having the president deliver the commencement speech; the president’s visit — last made in 2023 by former President Joe Biden and in 2019 by current President Donald Trump during his first term — requires extra security and road closures.