Traffic Impacts
Beginning April 6
Construction activities will begin on April 6, 2026 with a well-marked trail detour on the east side of Monument Creek. For trail updates, click on the "Trail Impacts" tab on this page
Beginning April 20
- On April 20, 2026 the bridge will close temporarily to all users until further notice.
- The Cache La Poudre Street/Mesa Road curve will also close to serve as a construction staging area.
- Directions for access:
- Parks users: enter on Glen Avenue at Uintah Street, park on the west side of creek.
- Colorado College users: park on the east side of Monument Creek.
About
The City of Colorado Springs needs to close 90-year-old Cache La Poudre/Mesa Road Bridge over Monument Creek for major rehabilitation work. The bridge is in Monument Valley Park, between Glen Avenue and Mesa Road, just west of Colorado College.
The rehabilitation work will include a deck replacement, widening of the sidewalks, roadway and drainage improvements, bridge lighting and updated accessibility. The bridge has tremendous practical, historical and artistic importance to our community, and its many historic and artistic features will be preserved.
Bridge History
The Cache La Poudre Street / Mesa Road Bridge over Monument Creek is part of Monument Valley Park and includes architectural features from the 1930s. Monument Valley Park was established by the City founder General William Jackson Palmer and opened to the public in 1907. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
The original rustic bridge structure across Monument Creek at this spot was destroyed by a flood in May 1935. That bridge, designed by O. O. Phillips of Colorado Springs City Engineering, was replaced with the existing 232-foot-long Art Deco style bridge constructed through Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding and opened to traffic in the spring of 1936. It’s the only remaining art deco architecture style bridge in El Paso County.
Bridge Location
Funding
The project design and construction are funded by the City of Colorado Springs through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority.
Traffic Guidance
Starting April 20, these closures will be in effect:
- Cache La Poudre Street/Mesa Road bridge closed to all users through this fall.
- Cache La Poudre Street and Mesa Road curve will be closed to motor vehicle traffic for use as a construction staging area
Users of the pickleball courts, the picnic pavilion, the pool and the Horticultural Arts Society complex need to enter the park on Glen Avenue at Uintah Street and park on the west side of Monument Creek.
Motorists are advised to carpool and/or expect to park further from their destinations because parking options will be extremely limited, particularly on the east side of Monument Creek.
Users of Colorado College need to access the college using marked detours and park on the east side of Monument Creek.
As a general rule, it is best to park on the side of Monument Creek where your activities are located.
Pedestrians and bicyclists also may cross Monument Creek at Uintah Street or the pedestrian bridge at the south end of Monument Valley Park.
Trail Status
Pikes Peak Greenway Trail
The Pikes Peak Greenway Trail has a slight, well-marked detour on the east side of Monument Creek and the bridge.
The trail is fully open on the west side of Monument Creek and the bridge.
Design Process
Both the form and function of the bridge will be addressed through the rehabilitation project. The future appearance of the bridge was a major consideration during design.
The unique architectural characteristics of the existing bridge were considered and accommodated where possible with the design and recommended repairs.
A preliminary infrastructure survey of the existing bridge included the Works Progress Administration (WPA) walls, roadway elements from Glen Avenue to Mesa Road, trail connections, drainage, facia panels, light standards, required bridge site data and other important visible features.
Existing lighting and fixtures will be either reused or replicated as closely to the originals as possible, and sign upgrades will be compatible with existing signage. Trail crossing improvements will be made at both the east and west ends of the bridge.
The project team has engaged with stakeholders and community representatives for their input on the project, including with adjacent neighborhoods, Colorado College, historic preservation groups, Friends of Monument Valley Park, the bicycling community, and Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services, among others.