Colorado Springs motorists who regularly use Hancock Expressway near Circle Drive are advised to seek alternate routes for the next few weeks as the roadway will be closed, effective Monday, for bridge work as part of the Circle Drive Bridges Project, according to a news release.

The project is aimed toward replacing the Circle Drive bridges east of Interstate 25, between Janitell and Monterey roads, according to city officials. The bridges – which span over Fountain Creek, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), the Union Pacific Railroad, Las Vegas Street, Hancock Expressway and the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail – were originally built in 1963 and have outlived their intended service life.

After several rehabilitation efforts, city officials determined that replacing the bridges is the best solution, according to coloradosprings.gov.

The first phase of the project was started in 2024 and included building a new eastbound bridge and demolishing the original westbound bridge. Phase two, which concluded near the end of last year, moved traffic onto the new span while the westbound bridge for Circle Drive was built.

The current portion of the project will be focused on removing the Circle Drive railroad bridge. While slated to last approximately four weeks, the work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change, the news release stated.

“Northbound travelers can use South Circle Drive and westbound Highway 24, while southbound travelers can use eastbound Highway 24 and East Fountain Boulevard to access Academy Boulevard,” the release stated.

For more information on the project, visit coloradosprings.gov/CircleDrBridges.