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Mid-September reopening seen for 21st Street segment
The city is on track for a “mid-September completion date,” according to Ryan Phipps, the project manager for Colorado Springs Engineering. Funded mostly with 2C tax dollars, the current work involves bridge repairs, installation of a weather-resistant membrane on the bridge surface, drainage upgrades, concrete work, walkways/sidewalks and road reconstruction/paving. Phipps said that, for the pre-overlay elements, the prime contractors are Even Preisser (off-bridge work) and Shanel Construction (on- bridge work). Martin Marietta is the contractor for the pavement overlay. The street closure has denied motorized access from Colorado Avenue. A detour south of the Fountain Creek bridge uses Naegele Road and 25th Street. In a coordinated government strategy, the closure started in early June for Colorado Springs Utilities' replacement of a major water line. This work finished in early July, which left the affected road segment open for a few days. But in mid-July the city reconstruction project began, and the segment had to close again. A full closure was necessary to get the work done sooner, according to Phipps, who said at a community meeting in April that a partial closure would slow the project and even prevent completion this year. The new sidewalk/walkways are going in along the east side of the 21st Street creek bridge between the Midland Trail and the highway and between the northwest corner of the highway/21st and Naegele Road. The latter path is to be built by the Colorado Department of Transporta-tion, possibly this year. The intent is to improve safety for pedestrians as well as bicyclists, Phipps has summarized; also, no sidewalk existed before on the east side of the bridge. Westside Pioneer article |