US 24 & Judge Orr Road Intersection Improvements | Design Phase
About the Project
CDOT is evaluating potential improvements to the US Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road intersection in El Paso County. The project is being developed to address safety concerns and operational improvements, which includes implementation of the US 24 Access Control Plan (ACP). Improvements under consideration include the realignment of both Judge Orr Road and Blue Gill Road to address the skewed angle of the existing intersection and changes to access, respectively.
Project Area
The project is located on US 24 between Mile Point 322 and MP 323, just west of Meadow Lake Airport and approximately 18 miles northeast of downtown Colorado Springs.
Schedule & Important Dates
- Design/Study Start Date: Spring 2024
- Design/Study End Date: To be determined
- Construction Begins: Spring 2026
CDOT conducted a Planning and Environmental Linkages study in 2018 to examine conditions and anticipated problem areas along the US 24 corridor in El Paso County, between Powers Boulevard (CO 21) and the Town of Ramah. The study recommended a range of transportation improvements along the corridor and concluded that the intersection of US 24 and Judge Orr Road is a high priority for improvements.
As part of the PEL study, understanding the ideas, perspectives and needs of the community and stakeholders in the corridor was critical to building broadly supported decisions and solutions for the project. CDOT requested input from the local jurisdictions, regional partners, and the community to inform the study. More information and its findings on the US 24 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study is online here.
In addition to the PEL, an Access Control Plan (ACP) for US 24 was developed to improve operations within the corridor by controlling access points on and off the corridor. The US 24 ACP is a collective effort by CDOT, El Paso County and the City of Colorado Springs. The first ACP was developed in 2005 and updates were drafted following the PEL. The updates included a revision at Judge Orr that will be finalized following the identified improvements for the current design project.
- Analyze existing conditions and develop preliminary intersection design
- Coordination with stakeholders and the public
- Environmental analysis and documentation
- Public meeting anticipated Fall of 2024
- Finalize design
