Office of University Relations - Press Releases
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| Roadwork Ahead: Austin Bluffs & Union |
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krdotv.com Posted: 9:25 PM, Jan. 29, 2007 By Joe Dominguez A big change is coming for Colorado Springs commuters in the form of new interchange that should make it easier to cross the city. The 35-million dollar Austin Bluffs and Union interchange project is about to utilize those blueprints that have been worked on for up to six years now and bring in the heavy equipment. So far crews have removed trees in the way of expansion and rearranged utility lines along Austin Bluffs Parkway, but starting very soon city leaders say you can expect major roadwork to begin. It's the start of a 22-month project that will turn around a volatile intersection. "It separates the two roads," says project manager Rob Kidder. "Austin Bluffs will be free flow over top of Union so Austin Bluffs traffic will no longer have to stop." At a meeting Monday to kick off the project city leaders thanked the community for the support of the voter-approved measure and the ideas that were used to shape the new Austin Bluffs Parkway. The majority of the roadwork will be done during the day and drivers will have to put up with some lane reductions but construction workers are required to keep at least two lanes of traffic open at all times. At night it's a different story. There are 50 nights over the life of the project when construction will be done at night. Project leaders say that's the best time to move heavy girders into place for safety reasons. "In general we will maintain traffic during construction which is one of the reasons it goes to 22 months," says Kidder. He says priority number one for the project s to improve safety on the roadway. "We've had something along the order of 300 accidents out here in the last 2 years," says Kidder. From now until fall work will focus on the frontage roads and ramp work. After that the focus shifts to the bridge, which should be wrapped up by late summer 2008. Three more months of work will be needed to complete road improvements west of Union and Austin Bluffs. Work will also be done to improve the UCCS campus as part of the project. Most supporters who turned out Monday for the indoor groundbreaking believe their initial concerns regarding noise and side street traffic have been addressed as the planning and design for the bridge and parkway improvements moved forward. This project will also improve access to nearby businesses along Austin Bluffs and Union. But everyone who stands to benefit will have to be patient with the construction work since the project isn't slated to wrap up until November 2008. |