Lane Closures Set to Start for Fillmore Interchange Project
COLORADO SPRINGS – Overnight lane closures begin next week as the Interstate 25/Fillmore Street Interchange Project gets underway.
On Monday, Feb. 9, drivers can expect traffic shifts on eastbound and westbound Fillmore Street from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for restriping and barrier placement. In addition, northbound and southbound I-25 will have double lane closures in place at Fillmore from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for median barrier placement. The speed limit will be reduced through both segments while work is taking place.
Shoulder closures should be expected during daylight hours on the ramps and I-25 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“Building a DDI at Fillmore is giving us maximum bang for our buck,” said CDOT Resident Engineer Mark Andrew. “With free-flow and independent left turn lanes on Fillmore, it’ll require less of a bridge structure and, in turn, cost less. When it’s completed, traffic flow and safety will be enhanced on I-25, at the on and off-ramps, and on Fillmore.”
SEMA Construction Co. of Centennial, CO is the contractor for the $15.1 million project. Funding includes $13 million from CDOT RAMP*, $1 million from Colorado Springs (Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority), and $1.1 million from city federal funds. In addition, Colorado Springs completed the $7 million Chestnut Street realignment in 2014, allowing the interchange project to move forward.
In addition to a new overpass, the project includes extending the northbound on-ramp and southbound off-ramp, new traffic signals, lighting, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways.
Full closures of I-25 will be required later this year to demolish the old bridge in phases. This work will take place at night to minimize traffic impacts. CDOT will distribute information regarding highway closures at least one week in advance.
“We’re well aware of the upcoming reconstruction at the Cimarron Interchange and we’ll be working closely with personnel from that project to make sure we don’t have simultaneous closures on I-25 to minimize impacts to the traveling public,” added Andrew.
The U.S. 24/Cimarron Street Project currently is scheduled to begin this spring.
Construction at Fillmore is scheduled for completion in spring 2016.
The Fillmore DDI will be the third one implemented on the state highway system. One is currently operating in Grand Junction at I-70/U.S. 6 & 50 and another is under construction at the U.S. 36 – Louisville/Superior exit near Boulder.
* This project is receiving funding from RAMP – Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships. RAMP is better coordinating project expenditures and available funding. Under the program, CDOT will fund multi-year projects based on year of expenditure, rather than saving for the full amount of a project before construction begins. For more information, including a list of RAMP project requests, please see our website: http://www.coloradodot.info/
