Thursday, there is a big milestone to celebrate at the Circle Drive Bridge. It’s near Janetell Road on the south side of Colorado Springs. Roadwork has been taking place there for months now.
A lot of progress has been made on this project. Thursday the eastbound lanes will be opening. Mayor Yemi Mobolade will be speaking, followed by a mini-parade up the eastbound bridge. That’s featuring the Harrison High School marching band and cheer squad at 11 am.
The city will also provide a timeline for when the rest of the project will be completed, but they anticipate sometime next year.
These bridges are an important artery in the city’s southeast side. This project cost 40 million dollars and is paid for by the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority. That’s a 1-cent sales tax that funds regional roadwork.
The project started last year to replace the aging bridges and work is continuing now on the westbound side of the bridge.
I talked to Mikeila Dobbins, who works in the area. She tells me she doesn’t like driving on this part of the road and that the fixes are welcomed. “Kinda scary… especially at night time when I work night shifts. It’s dangerous, some people drive really slow and some people drive really fast.”