Academy Boulevard Improvements Project

Construction

Traffic Impacts

(All schedules are weather dependent)

Trafﬁc Impacts on South Academy Boulevard between Bijou Street and Airport Road

Beginning Monday morning, June 24 through Friday, June 28, Airport Road will close at South Academy Boulevard to allow Colorado Springs Utilities’ crews to complete emergency repairs. Crews plan to work to mitigate the early stages of a sinkhole. All business entrances will remain open and accessible throughout this work. Expect delays and use alternative routes.

On Saturday, June 29 Airport Road will remain closed west of South Academy Boulevard. All business entrances remain open and accessible throughout this work. Expect delays and use alternative routes.

South Academy Boulevard, which is currently reduced to a single lane of travel in each direction between Bijou Street and Airport Road will reopen to two lanes in each direction Friday, June 28. Sunday night, June 30, crews will move travel lanes on South Academy Boulevard to the outside of the roadway to build the new medians and pave the inside lanes with new asphalt. All trafﬁc movements will remain open at Bijou Street and Pikes Peak Avenue.

Jet Wing Drive remains closed south of Hancock Expressway

Jet Wing Drive remains fully closed at South Academy Boulevard through June to support the underground work on the east side of the roadway. Trafﬁc will detour north to Hancock Expressway to access South Academy Boulevard. Crews will reopen Jet Wing Drive once underground work progresses north.

Expect delays and use alternative routes.

About

The City of Colorado Springs is moving forward to put Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) dollars to work. Along with contractor partner AMES Construction, the City will begin work to improve the safety, provide better mobility and pedestrian access, and improve storm sewers on S. Academy Boulevard between Bijou Street and Airport Road, and between East Fountain Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive (18 lane miles).

The vision for this corridor is guided by studies that helped define the need for infrastructure improvements and community revitalization. The Project will replace aging pavement, curb and gutter and improve drainage along the project corridor. To provide for better multi-modal and pedestrian access, a new multi-use path will be constructed on one side of Academy Boulevard. Significant drainage improvements will be installed in the roadway, including new manholes, inlets, and drainage pipe. Colorado Springs Utilities also will relocate and upgrade water and wastewater lines in support of the roadway project.

When the project is complete in 2025, look for

A smoother, more comfortable driving surface
Reduction and/or elimination of ponding water on the roadway surface
Improved pedestrian accessibility

Project Construction Schedule

Construction of the corridor will be divided into 2 different segments over the course of 24 months:

Segment 1 (North) – South Academy Boulevard between Bijou Street and Airport Road
- Construction starts late February 2023
Segment 2 (South) – South Academy Boulevard between East Fountain Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive
- Construction starts Spring 2023

The construction will focus on replacing aging infrastructure with new pavement including 7.5 inches of new asphalt with new curb and gutter over reclaimed and recompacted base course.

Segment 1 (North) – South Academy Boulevard between Bijou Street and Airport Road)

Phasing

In construction Phase 1, traffic will be initially pushed to the outsides of Academy Boulevard to support median demo and construction of detour pavement.
Phase 2 traffic will be pushed to the west half of the roadway to construct the east side of the roadway, and
Flipped in Phase 3 to the east side to complete the west side of the roadway, then again pushed to the outside to complete the median construction.
During phased construction, traffic will be limited to two lanes in each direction, from the current three lane configuration, and temporary access will need to be maintained to smaller side streets and businesses accesses.

Funding

This is a voter-approved, Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) A-listed project. Estimated cost to repair existing asphalt (18 lane miles), concrete and storm sewers: $62 million.