A new interchange was constucted along the heavily used Woodmen Road Corridor in Colorado Springs.With the help of $35 million in Recovery funds, Colorado state transportation officials were able to recently complete the first phase of a long-planned improvement to a heavily trafficked stretch of roadway in Colorado Springs.
Recovery funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) accounted for the majority of the total $42.5 million required for Phase I of the Woodmen Road Corridor project. Phase I constructed a new interchange at Woodmen Road and Academy Boulevard, two of Colorado Springs' busiest streets, serving an estimated 126,900 daily drivers combined. Woodmen Road between I-25 and Bell Drive was also widened from four to six lanes for 1.5 miles, and new bike lanes and sidewalks were added.
A parade of Model A cars for the reopening ceremony.Phase I was completed 34 days ahead of schedule. “Key to the success was the participation of neighborhoods and businesses along the corridor,” city officials said. “Neighborhood and business leaders partnered with the city, the engineers and designers, and the contractor to ensure a smooth flow of information and to make adjustments to lessen construction impacts.”
Subsequent phases will ultimately improve the total 11-mile length of the Woodmen Road Corridor. Colorado Springs officials have been planning the improvement since the 1980s but were not able to begin construction until September 2009, after receiving the Recovery funds.
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