I-25 Ilex Street to City Center Drive

Project Completed

About the Project

Project Facts

  • Time Frame: July 2015 - fall 2019
  • Cost: $100 million
  • Contractor(s): Flatiron Construction

In July 2015, crews started work on this project, which has replaced bridges on I-25 between Ilex Street and City Center Drive in Pueblo. Work has also included:

  • rehabilitating bridges on northbound I-25 over Santa Fe Avenue (US 50C), I-25 over Indiana Avenue, on Santa Fe Avenue over the Arkansas River, and on Northern Avenue and Mesa Avenue over I-25
  • designing and building a new bridge on I-25 over Union Pacific Railroad
  • improving on- and off-ramps from City Center Drive to D Street
  • improving the surfaces of D Street, Bennett Street, Clark Street and Santa Fe Avenue
  • constructing a new, safer intersection at D Street and Santa Fe Avenue

Project completion is slated for Fall of 2019.

 Upcoming Work

  • The final phase of work on this project has crews conducting the following operations:
  • Milling and paving work on bridge abutments
  • Final striping operations
  • Final tasks throughout the construction zone

 2018 Accomplishments

Bridge rehabilitation has been completed at Indiana, Northern, Mesa, Green Truss Bridge, and I-25 over Santa Fe Avenue. Crews also completed drainage and safety features on I-25 from Santa Fe Avenue to City Center Drive, and finalized new highway interchanges, southbound at Santa Fe Avenue as well as northbound at D Street and City Center Drive. Crews wrapped up construction on I-25 over Gruma Drive, I-25 over Union Pacific and BNSF railroads, and I-25 over D Street. Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls have been installed along the length of the project.

Recently Completed work


  • City Center Drive On Ramp - reopened to traffic
  • Decorative columns
  • Lanes shifted to final alignment
  • Acceleration and deceleration lanes open

 2019 Accomplishments

  • Median barrier construction
  • Staining retaining walls and bridges
  • Guardrail and median at Truss Bridge over Arkansas
  • Final top asphalt layer to improve safety and comfort for motorists
  • Finishing and contouring of fill slopes
  • Landscaping/seeding
  • Development of sediment and detention ponds
  • Installation of signs and lighting
  • Completion of Thomas Phelps Creek Trail
  • Acceleration and deceleration lanes open

  Schedule & Traffic Impacts

From Saturday, October 5 through Thursday, October 10, crews will begin limited milling, paving and temporary striping operations on I-25 from the Gruma Bridge to just north of the City Center Drive Bridge, as well as the northbound City Center Drive exit ramp. The work will require the following lane and ramp closures:

I-25 Lane Closures

  • Saturday, October 5, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Southbound I-25 left shoulder closure and left-lane closure.
  • Sunday, October 6, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Southbound I-25 right shoulder closure and right-lane closure.
  • Monday, October 7, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Northbound I-25 left shoulder closure and left-lane closure.
  • Tuesday, October 8, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Northbound I-25 right shoulder closure and right-lane closure.
  • Wednesday, October 9, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Northbound I-25 right shoulder closure and right-lane closure.
  • Wednesday, October 9, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.: Northbound and Southbound intermittent right-lane and left-lane closures.
  • Thursday, October 10, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.: Northbound and Southbound intermittent right-lane and left-lane closures.

I-25 Ramp Closures

  • Tuesday, October 8, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Northbound City Center Drive off-ramp (98B). Traffic will be detoured to the northbound Santa Fe Avenue off-ramp (98A).
  • Wednesday, October 9, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Northbound City Center Drive off-ramp (98B). Traffic will be detoured to the northbound Santa Fe Avenue off-ramp (98A).

Crews will be working seven days a week until the project is completed in late October 2019. This schedule is subject to change in the event of inclement weather. Speeds are reduced to 45 miles per hour. Traffic delays can be expected. Travelers are urged to take alternate routes, and use extra caution while traveling through the construction zone.

  Background

In 2000, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and CDOT initiated an Environmental Impact State Study (EIS) as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of I-25 through Pueblo, Colorado. This project was designed with respect for the traditions and trends of the Pueblo community, and is consistent with the New Pueblo Freeway EIS and aesthetic guidelines established for the I-25 corridor through Pueblo.

CDOT started this project in July 2015. The first segment of construction consists of replacing bridges on I-25 between Ilex Street and City Center Drive. Work includes rehabilitation of bridges on:

  • northbound I-25 over Santa Fe Avenue (US 50C);
  • I-25 over Indiana Avenue;
  • Santa Fe Avenue (US 50C) over the Arkansas River; and
  • Northern Avenue and Mesa Avenue over I-25.

The project was designed with respect for the traditions and trends of the Pueblo community. One section of the recently installed D Street wall panels displays the image of a baseball player, paying homage to Pueblo's beloved pastime.

The I-25/Ilex Design-Build project team is taking care to comply with environmental requirements and develop processes so work activities are protective of human health and the environment.

  Funding

This project receives 60 percent Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery (FASTER) funds and 40 percent Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnership (RAMP) funds.

  • FASTER funding legislation pays for safety projects and repairs for structurally deficient bridges as well as safety improvements to Colorado's key corridors.
  • RAMP program funds help move projects forward by funding multi-year projects based on year of expenditure, rather than saving for the full amount of a project before it starts.