CO 115 Cañon City through Florence Safety Improvements and Resurfacing | Design Phase

About the Project

The CO Highway 115 Cañon City through Florence Safety Improvements and Resurfacing project is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s plan to rehabilitate or replace aging pavement, improve overall safety and improve pedestrian, bicycle and ADA facilities. The project will repave the first 14 miles of CO 115, from the intersection with US 50 in Cañon City to the interchange with US 50 near Penrose, and will improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians by widening the shoulders between Ash Street (mile point 3.37) and the bridge over Chandler Creek (MP 7.08).

Project Area

This project is located on CO 115A from Cañon City to Penrose. The project limits pass through the jurisdictions of Fremont County, Cañon City, the city of Florence, and the town of Brookside.

Map of the 14 miles of Colorado 115 between Cañon City from the west intersection with US 50 to the interchange on the east with US 50 near Penrose."
Map of the 14 miles of Colorado 115 between Cañon City from the west intersection with US 50 to the interchange on the east with US 50 near Penrose."

Schedule & Important Dates

  • Public Open House 
    June 5, 2025 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
    Pathfinder Park Event Center
    6655 CO115
    Florence, CO 81226
  • Transportation Commission Finalizes Project Budget & Schedule: September 2025
  • Project Scope Finalized: Spring 2026
  • Final Design: Spring 2026 to Fall 2027 (Tentative)
  • Construction Timeline: To be determined

  Project Update

The project is currently in the early stages of design, including:

  • Gathering information on the corridor’s existing condition (traffic counts, survey and utility locations)
  • Asking the public, emergency services and local municipalities for their concerns and priorities regarding the highway
  • The project team will be collecting initial community input on improvements in the corridor through mid-summer 2025.

Once a comprehensive list of suggestions has been compiled, CDOT’s next step will be to estimate the cost and evaluate the effect on safety of each suggestion, with the goal of providing the greatest improvement to the traveling public’s safety within the project’s budget.

 Next Steps & Potential Construction Dates
  • Preliminary Design, Site Assessment, & Gathering Stakeholder Input: 2024 to 2025
  • Public Open House: Thursday, June 5 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Pathfinder Park Event Center (6655 CO-115, Florence, CO 81226)
  • Transportation Commission Finalizes Project Budget and Construction Funding Schedule: September 2025
  • Project Scope Finalized: Spring 2026
  • Final Design: Spring 2026 to Fall 2027 (Tentative end date)
    Depends on the final project scope, the complexity of the design, obstacles uncovered during design, and coordination/negotiations with stakeholders.
  • Construction Timeline: To be determined
    Construction start date depends on the duration of final design and the Transportation Commission's funding decision. The duration of construction depends on the final project scope.
 Project Budget

Current budget plan for project: $19.5 million*

*Tentative budget. Final amount depends on the Transportation Commission’s decision.