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Construction Won't Be Problem for Drivers Heading to Mountains

Posted on: Friday, 10 March 2006, 21:00 CST

By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD THE GAZETTE

After years of construction work, mountain-lovers headed to the high country this spring will find few road projects to slow them down.

Along the main mountain routes for Colorado Springs residents -- to the west, U.S. Highway 24, to the southwest, Colorado Highway 115 to U.S. Highway 50 -- major work of recent years is complete, with none planned for the 2006 construction season.

The largest, a $19.2 million, sixyear project to widen Highway 24 to four lanes between Woodland Park and Divide, was completed in November.

That stretch of road carries heavy traffic, said Bob Wilson, Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman. No plans are in place to widen the highway farther west.

Rock scaling work along Ute Pass that closed some lanes of Highway 24 last year also was finished last fall, at a cost of $662,000.

A major project involving $18.7 million in improvements to Highway 115 between Colorado Springs and Caon City was also finished in November. Crews spent six years adding passing lanes and doing other upgrades to the road, Wilson said.

Farther west, the summer months could bring some construction delays.

Hoosier Pass on state Highway 9 could be closed for entire nights this summer -- but not on weekends -- as crews perform pipe work and paving, Wilson said.

Construction begins in June.

Highway 9 also will get a major overhaul in Alma starting in May, with plans for new parking lanes, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drainage systems.

Wilson said to expect lane closures during the project.

Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.

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