COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The City of Colorado Springs is pleased to announce the completion of the Airport Road Over Spring Creek Bridge and Sanitary Sewer replacement project. The road was fully reopened June 3 after a closure and detour had been in place since mid-October.
In addition to replacing the bridge, the City added sidewalks on both sides and deepened the creek channel under the bridge to better accommodate flood events. To prepare for these improvements, Colorado Springs Utilities first relocated water, sewer and gas lines under the structure.
The bridge replacement project was funded by the voter-approved, Pikes Peak Rural Authority (PPRTA) II, as an A-list project. The required utility relocations were jointly funded by PPRTA II and Colorado Springs Utilities. The upsized sanitary sewer was funded by Springs Utilities.
“On behalf of the City of Colorado Springs, we extend our sincere thanks for the patience and cooperation the community showed to the project and to the construction crews,” said Colorado Springs Deputy Public Works Director Gayle Sturdivant. “We recognize road construction projects greatly impact residents, businesses and the traveling public. The mutual cooperation from everyone enabled the City and contractor to get the project completed as quickly as possible.”
Airport Road is an east-west, principal arterial. Before completion of this project, the road carried traffic over Spring Creek on a 47-year-old bridge that was deteriorating, was too narrow to accommodate sidewalks, and had less than half the capacity needed to pass the 100-year flood under the roadway.
A ribbon cutting celebration took place June 9 to highlight completion of the project. Speakers included Sturdivant, City of Colorado Springs Council Member Yolanda Avila, District 1 County Commissioner Holly Williams, Colorado Springs Utilities Chief Executive Officer Aram Benyamin, and Kiewit Infrastructure Operations Manager Mike McDonald.
“This project would not have come to fruition without the PPRTA funding and Colorado Springs Utilities,” said Commissioner Holly Williams. “This project epitomizes how collective transportation funding and a commitment from organizations and the public to work together results in an end product that benefits everyone.”