I-25/Cimarron Design-Build Project Team Announces Dates for Project Milestones: I-25 Traffic Switches and I-25 Bridge Demolition

October 19, 2016 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - Colorado Springs, CO – The halfway mark of the I-25/Cimarron Interchange Design-Build Project will bring I-25 traffic switches beginning Wednesday night, Oct. 19.

Traffic impacts on northbound and southbound I-25 will be required to set barrier, restripe and pave for the I-25 traffic switches.

  • Wednesday night, Oct. 19: Full overnight closure of southbound I-25 and southbound on- and off-ramps

  • Friday night, Oct. 21 through 5 a.m. Monday morning, Oct. 24: Full overnight closures of northbound I-25 between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and full weekend closure of northbound I-25 on-ramp

  • Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct 23 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Northbound I-25 will be restricted to two through lanes between Nevada Avenue/Tejon Street and Bijou Street to construct the new northbound lanes. For the safety of the traveling public the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph.

  • At 5 a.m. Monday morning, Oct. 24: the northbound I-25 off-ramp deceleration lanes to US 24/Cimarron Street will be shifted further south than the previous location (approximately a half-mile). After these closures motorists will be driving on a portion of new permanent I-25 pavement and the new I-25 Bridge over US 24/Cimarron Street, marking a major milestone for the project.

I-25 Bridge demo: In addition to the traffic switch, the old I-25 northbound Bridge over US 24/Cimarron Street will be demolished. The demolition will require a temporary 72-hour full closure of US 24/Cimarron Street under the bridge Friday night through Monday morning. The southbound ramps remain open, however northbound ramps will be closed.

  • 10 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4 through 5 a.m., Monday, Nov. 7

“While we recognize that a weekend closure of US 24/Cimarron Street under the I-25 Bridge will be inconvenient for the traveling public,” said Dave Watt, CDOT project manager, “it's the fastest and more importantly, safest way to get the old bridge down. Keeping it open during demolition would otherwise require a piece-by-piece process that would have to stretch over two weeks causing greater inconvenience to the traveling public,” he said. “Community input during the design phases of the project indicated a preference for quicker, shorter duration closures in order to expedite the work as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Watt.

Safety is a top priority for the project team. Precautionary measures throughout this demo operation will be taken to ensure the traveling public and workers are safe.

The I-25 Bridge is the largest bridge that will be demolished as part of the I-25/Cimarron Interchange project. Once the old interstate bridge over US 24/Cimarron Street has been removed, the project moves forward to Phase 2 with work on the northbound I-25 off- and on-ramps.

Here is what motorists can expect in Phase 2, anticipated to continue through summer 2017:

• Pave northbound I-25

• Northbound I-25 on and off-ramp realignment work

• Install lighting, signals, and signs on Cimarron Street/US 24

• Provide additional lanes for 8th Street connection on US 24

• South end of project - asphalt overlay for tie-in

• Northbound I-25 bridge work

• Northbound I-25 on-ramp bridge over Upper Fountain Creek

• Stream channel reconstruction and multi-use trail extension

• Begin landscaping

• Pedestrian bridges over Upper Fountain Creek and Monument Creek