Ribbon Cutting


Retired Operating Engineer Truman Pooler and Pueblo area native discusses his family's legacy with the infrastructure near the I-25 and Ilex Street interchange, and how the project's culmination marks good things.

062619: Pueblo Briefs
Posted Jun 25, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Updated Jun 25, 2019 at 6:05 PM

I-25 New Pueblo Freeway ribbon-cutting Thursday

The Colorado Department of Transportation and Flatiron Construction, alongside Pueblo stakeholders, elected officials, project partners and members of the community will gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The event is for the first project of he New Pueblo Freeway to officially be unveiled at 10 a.m. at the Runyon Field Sports Complex Parking Lot (look for the large tent), 400 Stanton Ave.

Attendees should park in the Runyon Field parking lot.

Speaking at the event will be representatives from CDOT, the Federal Housing Administration, Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar among others.

The project celebrates many positive changes such as a desire to improve the look and aesthetics of the interstate from the local city perspective.

Eleven bridges were replaced, rehabilitated or widened. Continuous acceleration and deceleration lanes between the City Center Drive and D Street interchanges provide much safer and improved conditions when entering and exiting I-25. Aesthetics were chosen to compliment local land uses around the project.

The project began in July 2015, and is scheduled to be complete this summer.


Work finished on Ilex section of Pueblo freeway
By Zach Hillstrom
Posted Jun 27, 2019 at 12:57 PM
Updated Jun 27, 2019 at 7:28 PM

After nearly four years and 319,000 hours worked by skilled laborers, construction on Interstate 25 between Ilex Street and City Center Drive is finally complete and was celebrated Friday morning at a ribbon cutting ceremony at Runyon Field.

The project initially broke ground on July 1, 2015, with the goal of rehabilitating bridges throughout I-25, designing and building a new bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad, improving on and off ramps from City Center Drive to D Street, improving road surfaces of several surrounding streets, and constructing a new, safer intersection at D Street and Santa Fe Avenue.

"This has been a very challenging project," said Karen Rowe, Region 2 Transportation Director for Colorado Department of Transportation.

"We have improved the safety for the traveling public and the motorist, as well as improved the community and the aesthetics and walkability of this area."

The project was funded through the CDOT Bridge Enterprise, the CDOT Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnership (RAMP) and through local city and county funding sources.

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Herman Stockinger, deputy executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, speaks to the crowd at the new Pueblo freeway ribbon cutting celebration on June 27, 2019 in Pueblo Colo. [CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/ZACHARY ALLEN]

In four years, the Ilex project led to the completion of four new bridge structures, six rehabilitated bridge structures and three widened bridge structures, as well as numerous fixtures spanning local roadways, railroads and pedestrian trails in addition to those structures placed along I-­‐25 and the Arkansas River.

The project also implemented numerous safety improvements, including widening shoulders to 12 feet so cars and emergency vehicles safely can pull off the roadway; creating longer lanes for safer acceleration and deceleration when merging; standardizing lane widths; straightening alignment where there were previously tight curves to allow consistent speeds; and improving lighting and signage to increase visibility.

Approximately 100 people attended the ribbon‐cutting ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the completion of the project, which also marks the completion of the first phase of construction of the New Pueblo Freeway project.

"I first saw plans for the reconstruction of I-25 20 years ago when I was the president of the chamber of commerce board of directors, so this has been a long time in coming," Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar told the crowd at the event.

"And I certainly hope it doesn’t take another 20 years to finish the other phases of I-25, which is the oldest section of I-25 that remains in the state of Colorado. So the completion of I-25 through Pueblo remains a top priority for the Pueblo Area Council of Governments."

I-25 Ilex Project Ribbon Cutting Celebration

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On Thursday, June 27, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and contractor, Flatiron Construction, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at Runyon Field Sports Complex Parking Lot to celebrate the completion of the I-25 Ilex Street to City Center Drive project, the first phase of the New Pueblo Freeway.

THK was pleased to be on the CDOT team during this exciting project as this project celebrates many positive changes such as a desire to improve the look and aesthetics of the interstate from the local community perspective. Eleven bridges were replaced, rehabilitated or widened. Continuous acceleration and deceleration lanes between the City Center Drive and D Street interchanges provide much safer and improved conditions when entering and exiting I-25. Aesthetics were chosen to compliment local land uses around the project.

KOAA 5
Published on Jun 27, 2019 SUBSCRIBE 7.4K

CDOT had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday for the work completed on the interstate from Ilex to City Center Drive. Improvements were made because before this construction, no major upgrades were done on I-25. The work on this specific part of I-25 cost more than $100 million.

070119: Roadwork
Posted Jul 1, 2019 at 7:25 AM
Updated Jul 1, 2019 at 7:25 AM

Here is the scheduled highway construction this week in the Southern Colorado region, weather permitting:

Pueblo area:
US 50 eastbound/westbound Santa Fe Avenue on U.S. 50 (Santa Fe Avenue) — part of the I-25 Ilex Street to City Center Drive project. Other roads affected are Gruma Drive under I-25, D Street under I-25 (milemarker 314)

Speeds reduced. Replace deficient bridges and rehabilitate bridges on I-25 from Ilex to City Center Drive.

Mayor Nick Gradisar: Honored to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the I-25 Ilex Street to City Center Drive Project

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