Trail Users Celebrate the Reopening of Bear Creek Trail Under I-25
Colorado Springs, CO - Trail users and local businesses celebrated the reopening of Bear Creek Trail this week with the Interstate 25/Cimarron Interchange Design-Build Project Team, staff from the City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation and Trails and Open Space Coalition.
"The opening of Bear Creek Trail is the first of many milestones throughout the duration of the project. We were very pleased to open the trail, as it serves as a major thoroughfare for pedestrians and bikers. We appreciate the community's continued patience during these closures/detours and we look forward to celebrating the next milestone,” said Mark Olsen, Kraemer Project Manager.
The first person to experience the new Bear Creek Trail culvert was El Paso County Parks Planner Ross Williams. “I’m excited that trail users once again have access to a direct link to Bear Creek Regional Park. This provides a more scenic and safer route for the entire biking community,” said Ross Williams.
In the past three month the project team has completed the following work within the Bear Creek Trail Closure area:
- Relocated overhead power and fiber optic lines
- Completed concrete box culvert and trail connections
- Began major embankment for the new I-25 alignment
- Installed new drainage culverts
Trail users are encouraged to use extreme caution while traveling on the trail through the culvert (south of Walmart). Construction will continue in this area over the next few weeks to complete the following:
- Grading on top of the culvert to accommodate for the widening of I-25
- Rip rap (large rocks) to complete west side of the trail -- as an environmental protection measure
- Minor drainage completion
From left to right: Kraemer Project Manager Mark Olsen, Kraemer Construction Manager Kassie Watson, Trails and Open Space Coalition Executive Director Susan Davies, City of Colorado Springs Parks Development Manager Chris Lieber, Bike Advocate Chris Davenport, City of Colorado Springs Parks Operation and Development Manager Kurt Schroeder and CDOT Project Manager Lesley Mace
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PROJECT INFORMATION: CDOT’s $113 million I-25/Cimarron Interchange Design-Build Project involves rebuilding the I-25 interchange between Colorado Avenue on the north and South Nevada Avenue to the south, 8th Street on the west and the Cimarron Street bridge over Fountain Creek on the east.Improvements will provide enhanced operations, correct existing safety and design deficiencies, and serve the anticipated short- and long-term area travel demands. When complete, this will be a high-functioning interchange, safely handling more vehicles, enhancing multi-modal travel for those using I-25, US 24/Cimarron Street and the trail system along Monument and Fountain creeks.Substantial completion: fall 2017.
Project information: http://www.codot.gov/projects/
For real-time road condition updates, visit www.codot.gov and click on the cell phone icon. Weekly lane closure information is available at www.codot.gov/travel/
