I-25 PEL: Colorado Springs Denver South Connection
The Problem:
Between Monument and C-470, congestion, high speeds and climbing grades contribute to severe crashes, and can lead to long periods of highway closures. Drivers along the corridor experience congestion on numerous days throughout the year. Travel delays and trip unreliability are a source of frustration for travelers now and will only get worse as Colorado's population grows from 5 million to more than 8 million in the next 20 years.
What CDOT is Doing:
CDOT initiated this planning and environmental linkages (PEL) study to identify immediate and longer-term solutions to this vital stretch of highway, which connects Colorado Springs and the Denver South area.
This PEL study is the first step to analyze and address safety, travel reliability and mobility issues. This PEL will lay the ground work for future improvements by:
- helping to identify, define and prioritize projects based on the corridor's greatest needs.
- identifying significant environmental constraints that may influence design options and/or delay project development with lengthy environmental reviews.
- clarifying project costs, and identifying necessary financing and funding options to implement improvements.
Hopeful Outcomes:
Improvements along this corridor will enhance mobility, address specific safety concerns and provide increased travel reliability for the public utilizing the corridor. This stretch of I-25 between Monument and C-470 is important to corridor communities and travelers as I-25 is the only north-south interstate route through Colorado, connecting the state's largest population centers, and providing access to recreation and cultural amenities.
Castle Rock Public Meeting
"The presentation Tuesday took into account the entire portion of I-25 from C-470 to Colorado Springs in terms of long-term planning and environmental assessments needed. But the primary focus was on the narrowest section of roadway—a four-lane ribbon of asphalt between Castle Rock and Monument, dubbed the Gap."
—John Aguilar, The Denver Post
More than 50 people attended the second public project meeting on Tuesday, April 25, to review the purpose and need of the PEL process, and for a broader discussion about proposed alternatives for all three project segments.
Overall, the meeting was well-received. In addition to engaging in a robust discussion on alternatives, attendees had an opportunity to review project background, read input from the previous meeting and ask questions about funding. The goal is to have an early action project between Monument and Castle Rock (the Gap) ready for construction in 2019.
We Want Your Input
If you missed the April 25 or 27 meeting, you can review meeting materials on this site. You may also fill out a short survey about the corridor needs and alternatives.
Conduct a collaborative PEL process that results in a stakeholder-supported roadmap for implementing projects to improve safety, travel reliability, and mobility on this vital stretch of I-25 between Colorado Springs and the south Denver area
