Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Project Begins

News Release

September 16, 2021 - Southeastern Colorado - Major transportation project starts construction phase on primary segments.

Colorado Springs - Colorado Department of Transportation and Contractor SEMA Construction, Inc. will begin construction in late-September on two primary segments of the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Project (MAMSIP). MAMSIP is comprised of four discrete road projects in the Pikes Peak region, all of which are strategically important in the movement of personnel and equipment between nationally significant military facilities.

The two safety and efficiency project components starting construction include: 

  • Interstate-25: Safety and efficiency improvements, and bridge replacements on I-25, backbone of the region’s passenger, commercial, and military mobility
  • Charter Oak Ranch Road: Road reconstruction generating improvements for the road  to the entrance of Fort Carson’s Gate 19 from the I-25 Corridor. 

Collectively, this work will significantly improve safety through reduction in crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Replacement of bridges which have exceeded their useful life, as well as work on minor bridges along the corridor, will reduce scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and repairs. Undertaking these improvements will effectively improve mobility and safety outcomes along one of the state’s busiest interstate corridors and the connected transportation system while concurrently ensuring economic vitality is maintained.

“The City of Colorado Springs is delighted that these much needed transportation projects are moving forward, said Mayor John Suthers. “I would ask motorists that are inconvenienced during the construction phase to keep in mind that the projects will improve access to and from military installations and thereby enhance our national defense.”

“An efficient road network is critical for national defense access and is part of the foundational mission of our interstate system. We rely on I-25, South Academy Boulevard, and Colorado Highway 94 to move people, vehicles, and supplies to and from our nation’s military installations, and to move people and freight around El Paso County,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. 

Project Overview

Interstate-25 | Safety and Efficiency Improvements 

The improvements to I-25 addressed in this project are located along an approximately 7.5-mile segment of the corridor beginning at South Academy Boulevard and extending to the Santa Fe Avenue (CO 85/87) exit at Fountain (Mile Post 128), which exits to Gate 19 of Fort Carson.

  • Replacement of two bridges crossing over South Academy Boulevard
  • Widening of both inside and outside shoulders and installing safety improvements
  • Concrete surface treatment overlay to provide an improved riding surface for this 7.5-mile segment 
  • Installation of median barrier the entire length of this corridor
  • Rehab and widening work on four bridges along the corridor
  • Installation of I-25 southbound deceleration lane at the interchange with Colorado Highway 16

Charter Oak Ranch Road Improvements

Improving Charter Oak Ranch Road will remove approximately one-fourth of the trips to Fort Carson Gate 20, improving safety along the I-25 corridor and generating time savings for the post’s personnel.

  • The project involves drainage, structural and roadway improvements
  • The road will be rebuilt and widened in the westbound direction from the intersection with Santa Fe Avenue to Gate 19
  • A roundabout will replace the four-way stop sign intersection with Santa Fe Avenue
  • Curbing and a sidewalk will be added

Safety Benefits

The safety enhancements relate to the potential to reduce crashes, improve infrastructure, and address physical deficiencies that contribute to crashes in the corridor. CDOT conducted a safety assessment for the corridor to evaluate the magnitude and nature of safety problems and analyze the causes of crashes.

The proposed transportation improvements are mitigation measures to reduce crashes and improve safety in the corridor. It is estimated that the delivery of the MAMSIP project will, over its’ twenty years of operation, result in fewer deaths, injuries and crashes on the four corridors the project addresses.

Project Contact Information

About the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Project (MAMSIP) Build Grant

CDOT has initiated a program to deliver more efficient and safer mobility along I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard, and Charter Oak Ranch Road, enabling economic stability and development. The Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement program is partially funded through an $18 million BUILD grant award from the US Department of Transportation. The delivery of these improvements will strengthen and enhance the redundancy of strategic movement between the nationally significant El Paso County military installations of Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base.