I-25 / Cimarron Street (US 24) Interchange Design-Build
Project Background
Project Facts
- Cost:
$113.1 million (RAMP)
Project Team
- Contractor(s): Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc.
How to Drive the Quadrant Intersection Video
One of the region's busiest interstate highway interchanges is preparing for a multi-million dollar makeover. The Interstate-25/Cimarron Interchange reconstruction is the second largest highway project in Colorado Springs history (COSMIX—Colorado Springs Metropolitan Expansion Project: 2004-2008—is the largest).
The project, slated for completion in December 2017, will transform the decades-old structure into a more efficient and more attractive gateway to Colorado Springs, El Paso County and the mountain communities to the west.
Following pre-construction activity in June 2015, local, state, and federal transportation officials and organizations realized the culmination of years of collaborative efforts to study, plan and fund the project.
I-25 and Cimarron Street is a key local and regional interchange that serves as a primary connection to downtown Colorado Springs to the east, and to neighborhoods and mountain communities to the west.
On Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, CDOT and Kraemer North America hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at America The Beautiful Park to celebrate the completion of the I-25/Cimarron Interchange Design-Build project—the second largest transportation project in Colorado Springs' history, behind COSMIX.
What the Project Involves
- The work:
reconstruction of the I-25 Interchange between Colorado Avenue (to the north) and Nevada Avenue/Tejon Street interchange (to the south) a continuous northbound travel lane between the S. Nevada/Tejon interchanges and the Cimarron interchange
- Project boundaries:
On Cimarron Street (west to east): From 8th Street to the Cimarron Street Bridge over Fountain Creek
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- improved interstate and interchange operations, and safety
- improved highway alignment and improved ramps, acceleration/deceleration lanes for increased vehicle storage and safety
- new I-25 bridge structures
- a new connection between 8th Street and Cimarron Street
- improved trail connectivity and aesthetic treatments
(reconstruction of approximately 2,100 feet of Upper Fountain Creek, enhancing stream habitat)Project outcomes:
The new connection between 8th Street to Cimarron Street will greatly reduce the traffic at this intersection. This connector is anticipated to reduce traffic at this intersection by 20 percent on weekdays and 40 percent on weekends, pushing off the need for additional improvements at this location for several years.
Video Simulation: New 8th Street to US 24 Connection
Schedule/Milestones
- Design/build contractor team shortlisted: May 14, 2014
- Public Open House: June 3, 2014
- Design/build contractor team Notice to Proceed: April 2, 2015
- Kraemer North America, LLC/Tsiouvaras Simmons Holderness (TSH)
- Public Open House: May 26, 2015
- Groundbreaking event: May 27, 2015
- Pre-construction start: June 2015
- Phase 0 construction (offline): July 2015
- Phase 1 Construction (mainline work): March 2016
- Fully operational: Fall 2017
Project Cost
The $113 million project is fully funded. Project funds have come from multiple federal, state, RAMP (Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships), local federal Metro funds, and local sources, including local match funding from the project partners of the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County.
