Colorado Springs to host open house on second section of South Academy improvements
The Gazette file
The $44 million second phase of a project to improve a major Colorado Springs road is starting this October, with construction lane closures expected.
Colorado Springs will host an open house Sept. 9 to present information on the project, which will rebuild a section of South Academy Boulevard from Fountain Boulevard to Jet Wing Drive over the course of three years.
The first stage of the improvements project concluded last year, updating the roadway originally built in the 1960s from Bijou Street to Airport Road. The second stage will start to the south of the previous construction.
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Funded by tax dollars through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, the improvements project is replacing aging pavement, fixing gutters and curbs and installing a new pathway on one side for pedestrian access.
Gayle Sturdivant, Colorado Springs city engineer and deputy public works director, said the project would be “very strategically put together” with four phases of construction from south to north.
The second stage of South Academy Boulevard improvements.
Construction stages:
Segment 1: Jet Wing Drive to Hancock Expressway (fall 2025 to winter 2027)
Segment 2: Hancock Expressway to Sand Creek (fall 2025 to winter 2026)
Segment 3: Sand Creek to Chelton Road (fall 2026 to fall 2027)
Segment 4: Chelton Road to Fountain Boulevard (fall 2026 to spring 2028)
During construction, Sturdivant said the city would maintain access off of South Academy and adjacent roads for businesses, though access points on Academy may be half under construction.
“It might just be narrower,” said Sturdivant.
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The city’s goal is to keep two lanes open in both directions during periods of high traffic volume on South Academy, but non-peak times may see lane closures.
The open house will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Family Success Center at Pikes Peak United Way, 1520 Verde Drive. Spanish translators will be in attendance, and other translators can be available on request, Sturdivant said.
For more information, visit the project website or contact staff through AcademyBlvdImprovements@gmail.com or by calling 719-427-6422.
