2C Road Improvements

We have a comprehensive year-by-year plan that outlines roads to be paved in each area of town, utilizing a data-driven model that rates road pavement conditions. The list can change as we coordinate paving with timing of other City projects. We also attempt to minimize impacts to the traveling public by paving in all sections of the city so traffic impacts aren’t focused in one area of town. 

The City uses the nationally recognized “Overall Condition Index” that evaluates all city streets for quality and assigns it a rating that helps determine when a street needs maintenance or repaving. All paving and maintenance projects are prioritized and timing is coordinated based on the rating, resources, other planned/current projects and weather. 

The City of Colorado Springs Public Works Operations & Maintenance Division has developed a comprehensive street paving program that facilitates road improvements to occur throughout the city to minimize traffic impacts in one area of town. Additionally, it coordinates all work where overlaps among City Streets projects, capital improvement projects and Colorado Springs Utilities projects. These entities work together to minimize the disruption to users and projects are reviewed to determine whether adjustments are needed to better coordinate the timing of projects. To see what road improvements are taking place along your commute visit www.ColoradoSprings.gov/conezones. 

The City is committed to aligning its planning with planned or emerging Colorado Springs Utilities projects, City Engineering projects, City Traffic Engineering projects or other identified needs to ensure the work is completed as efficiently as possible.  The City works in collaboration with these entities to ensure that all efforts and investments take into account the needs and interests of these cooperating entities in working to best serve the residents of Colorado Springs. 

The City will issue fair and competitive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for all 2C work, including pre-overlay concrete, overlay, inspection, and materials testing.  All RFPs are posted on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing system website, which is open to all interested parties.  The City normally allows Offerors 30 days to respond.  After proposals are received, the City evaluates each responsive proposal in accordance with the evaluation criteria stipulated in the RFP.  These criteria include technical approach, management approach, past performance, price, and other factors.  The contractors considered to represent the best value to the City will receive a contract award.  For pre-overlay and overlay, the City will issue multiple awards.  As the projects progress under the diligent oversight of City Streets personnel, the most productive and cost-effective contractors will continue to receive additional work.  Further, all contracts will be established with one base year.  Additional option years are awarded at the discretion of the City, depending largely on performance.  Scheduling will be established at the direction of the City, in conjunction with contractor and City personnel. 

A quality product starts with the contractor and ends with City inspectors.  First, the City requires all contractors to complete a quality control plan prior to being awarded any contract.  This ensures the City has a working knowledge of the quality control measures taken by the contractor to ensure a quality product.  Second, the City utilizes inspectors and material testers to implement a robust quality program.  The program includes standardized inspection check sheets and documented third-party material testing results to ensure products and workmanship are adhering to the specifications set forth by the contract documents. 

All revenues from the 2C sales tax will be placed in a separate fund to be used solely for road improvement. The City conducts both internal and external audits to ensure the management of the funds and ensure road maintenance and repair efforts. 

Yes. Throughout the five-year life of the road tax, the City will provides public quarterly updates, outlining revenues collected, projects completed and expenditures, and projects for the upcoming quarter. 

The revenues collected through 2C will be used for road improvements such as paving, preventative maintenance, and concrete work. This frees up other funds to repair potholes, including funding from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Advisory (PPRTA) to conduct routine roadway maintenance, which includes chip seal, crack seal, mill and overlay, and pothole repairs to extend the life of our streets. 

No additional employees will be hired to support increased paving operations. All paving operations will be contracted out to the private sector through the City’s procurement division. The City encourages Colorado Springs contractors to bid on 2C work, meaning the tax revenue generated through 2C is reinvested in our community through job creation and small business support. 

It costs approximately $140,000 to pave one lane mile of a city street. Final cost may vary based on the price of labor and materials.  

When asphalt pavement overlays are placed over jointed and/or severely cracked rigid and/or flexible pavements, the cracks and joints in the existing pavement structure can reflect to the surface over time.  Numerous studies have attempted to develop methods and materials to prevent reflective cracks from occurring within the design period. Most of the materials and methods in use today, however, only briefly delay or limit the severity of the reflective cracks.  This highlights the importance of preventative maintenance measures, such as crack seal and chip seal, to maintain the integrity of the new roadway at a high level.