The Powers Boulevard Extension is a long-planned regional transportation improvement that will expand northward from Highway 83 to Voyager Parkway. This critical corridor will improve mobility, reduce congestion, and better connect northeast Colorado Springs with I-25 and surrounding communities.
Led by the City of Colorado Springs in coordination with Copper Ridge Metropolitan District and CDOT, the project is progressing ahead of the city’s typical schedule, thanks to proactive funding strategies and regional collaboration.
About
Click here for in-depth white paper on noise
Roadway Improvements
The Powers Boulevard extension will mirror the existing expressway design between Research Parkway and Old Ranch Road. It will include:
- A new interchange at Highway 83
- An overpass across Black Squirrel Creek
- Underpasses beneath Ridgeline Road and Flying Horse Drive
- An overpass at Old Northgate Road
- Access points only at Voyager Parkway and Highway 83 to support efficient traffic flow
Noise Study
As part of the roadway design and environmental analysis process, a noise analysis is underway. The first public meeting for this component will be held to explain the noise analysis process:
- What’s being studied and why
- Where noise data will be collected
- What to expect (equipment and field crews)
- How noise analysis works and how decisions are made
- How the study connects to the Powers Boulevard bridge and roadway improvement projects
Bridges
In late 2023, Voyager Parkway closed to allow construction of the Voyager Bridge, which will carry local traffic over the future Powers Boulevard. This proactive investment reduces long-term disruption and supports the efficient buildout of the corridor. The bridge construction is complete and re-opened in 2024. It was led by the Copper Ridge Metro District and connects directly to the recently finished I-25/Powers Interchange at Exit 155.
Coming soon, there are three more bridges at Flying Horse Club Drive, Ridgeline Drive and the golf course. Construction may begin late in 2025.
Work receives oversight from the City of Colorado Springs and CDOT.
Funding
In November 2022, the Powers Boulevard Extension (from SH-83 to Voyager Parkway) was approved as a PPRTA A-list project, prioritizing it for voter-approved regional transportation funding.
To accelerate construction, the Copper Ridge Metropolitan District advanced the Voyager Parkway Bridge ahead of PPRTA fund availability. This proactive move supports nearby development and reduces traffic impacts before the main Powers Boulevard extension begins.
The Copper Ridge Metropolitan District is providing upfront financing and will be reimbursed using PPRTA funds starting in 2025.
Public Engagement
Public Meeting #1
Noise Analysis
July 17, 2025
5:30 - 7 p.m. at Discovery Canyon High School
Future Powers Extension
The extension of Powers Boulevard from Voyager Pkwy to Hwy 83 is a regional transportation priority project. The extension will be funded through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) as a voter-approved, A-list project. (More information available here: https://pprta.com/2022-pprta-ballot-language/).
The entity that undertakes construction (either developer or City of Colorado Springs) has not yet been finalized. Preliminary engineering is complete, with final engineering planned to start in 2024. Early construction activities are anticipated to begin in 2025, with construction in phases expected to occur through 2030.
Ultimately, the extension’s configuration will include a new interchange at Hwy 83, with Powers extending over Black Squirrel Creek, under Ridgeline Road and Flying Horse Drive, and over Old Northgate Road. Access to Powers will be accessible at Voyager and HWY 83 only.
The configuration will look similar to the stretch of Powers between Research Pkwy and Old Ranch Road. The concept design and alignment for the extension was approved in 1997 prior to the Flying Horse or Northgate developments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this study about?
he City of Colorado Springs is studying traffic noise along the Powers Boulevard Extension to understand how the future roadway may impact nearby neighborhoods and properties. This is part of a federally required environmental evaluation process.
Why now?
Although Powers Boulevard has been in the works for decades, this extension of the corridor hasn’t been built yet; however, public knowledge of this corridor was officially established in 1998. As final design progresses, an updated noise study is required to evaluate future impacts using the most current data and methods.
What is the “date of public knowledge”?
This refers to the date when a formal federal decision was made about the original Powers Boulevard corridor. In this case, that date is January 1998. Any development approved after that date is subject to the understanding that funding for noise mitigation may not apply. (e.g., developments within Flying Horse)
- Flying Horse was annexed on Oct. 28, 2003 (meaning brought into the city limits), after the Date of Public Knowledge
- Powers Boulevard has always been included in all development plans for the area, including Flying Horse, and land (Right of Way) has been preserved for future highway construction.
Does this study decide if noise mitigation will happen?
Not yet. This phase identifies potential impacts based on noise thresholds. If impacts are found, the next step is to determine if mitigation is both feasible (it works) and reasonable (cost-effective and supported by residents) under CDOT and FHWA criteria.
IF it qualifies, nearby property owners would be contacted during a future phase to gather input before any decisions are made.
Potential mitigation strategies—if warranted and approved—could include physical measures such as landscaped berms or other sound-reducing features, depending on the unique conditions of the area.
How are potentially affected residents identified?
A 500-foot buffer from the future travelway edge defines the “study area.” Within this zone, “noise-sensitive receptors”—places like homes, schools, parks, and churches— are analyzed using 3D noise modeling. The model factors in:
- Projected traffic volumes and speeds
- Roadway design (including bridges, cut/fill, barriers, etc.)
- Topography and ground type
- Existing structures like buildings or walls that could reflect or block sound
What happens if an impact is identified?
If noise levels meet federal impact thresholds (66 dB or a 10 dB increase), then mitigation will be considered.
Considered mitigation strategies must meet the following criteria to continue in the evaluation:
- Reduce noise by at least 5 dB for 3+ properties and confirm buildability of potential mitigation from a design and construction standpoint (feasibility)
- Reduce by 7 dB for 2+ properties, be cost-effective, and have majority support from those who would benefit—based on noise computer model results—from the strategy (reasonableness)
IF those criteria are met, CDOT and FHWA must approve the solution. Then, and only then, would residents be surveyed. The survey would be sent only to those “noise sensitive” places (like homes, schools, parks, and churches) that would benefit from mitigation, based on the noise computer model results. In other words, not all community members within the 500 ft study area would receive a survey, IF a survey about potential mitigation is distributed.
Potential mitigation would be considered for implementation only if at least 51 percent of survey responses indicate support for the potential mitigation measure.
What’s considered “too loud”?
Imagine your home currently experiences 56 dB of traffic noise. If future conditions would raise that to 66 dB or higher—or even to 66 from 56—that would trigger mitigation review. A 10 dB increase, even if under 66, would also qualify as an impact under federal rules.
Example: normal conversation is around 60 dB and the average gas lawnmower is between 85 and 100 dB.
Is construction starting soon?
No. In August, crews may be seen collecting noise data.
Bridge construction may begin in late 2025, with full roadway construction happening in later phases.