FOUR CORNERS STATES EDITION
®
February 23 2025 Vol. III • No. 4
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Four Corners Connection • Dennis Hogeboom • 1-877-877-4997 • dennishogeboom@cegltd.com
SEMA Construction’s $562M Upgrade of I-25 On Track Rebar installed on the bridge over Ellston Street awaits concrete pouring.
In late October 2023, SEMA Construction started work on the CEG CORRESPONDENT Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) $562 million Interstate 25 Acceleration/Deceleration Lanes from Fillmore Street to Garden of the Gods Road project in Colorado Springs to improve traffic flow and safety on the busy highway. The El Paso County project adds acceleration and deceleration lanes and replaces an aging bridge on I-25 over Ellston Street. The anticipated completion date is late August 2026. “The growth of the community and business expansion has necessitated the initiation of the improvement project,” according to the project web page. A technical analysis for the project was conducted in mid-2021, and final design work occurred from late 2021 through summer 2023. Continuous acceleration and deceleration lanes will be By Irwin Rapoport
A Cat 335F L hydraulic excavator is a key part of the equipment needed for the Interstate 25 project to add acceleration and deceleration lanes.
added to both the northbound and southbound directions of I-25, spanning from Garden of the Gods Road to Fillmore Street. The goal of the auxiliary lanes is to even out traffic flow and assist drivers in merging into and exiting traffic efficiently. To further enhance road safety, the roadway is being resurfaced and adjustments are being implemented to address drainage concerns. The bridge on I-25 over Ellston Street will be reconstructed and widened, along with bridge deck repairs on the Garden of the Gods overpass structure. Upgrades to the intelligent transportation system (ITS) infrastructure — fiber optics and ramp meter station — “will help with the flow of traffic to monitor, trigger and time vehicle release with automatic vehicle and queue detection to mitigate any traffic backups by adjusting meter timing,”
according to the web page. “Auxiliary lanes help balance traffic and facilitate smoother traffic flow as drivers merge and exit,” said Shane Ferguson, regional transportation director of CDOT’s Region 2 Southeast Colorado District. “Resurfacing the roadway will create a smoother driving surface for motorists. To help with drainage issues on the roadway, curve crossslope corrections will be made.” The average daily traffic count is 150,000, including local commuters, regional travelers and interstate commerce. “The Pikes Peak Region’s growth has had a significant impact on congestion, crashes and delays,” said Amber Shipley, a CDOT communications manager. “Crash history in this area includes sideswipes, fixed objects and wildlife.” see I-25 page 7