Overnight closures and lane reductions are scheduled for South Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs as part of ongoing construction activities under the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP). The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced that northbound South Academy Boulevard between US Highway 85/87 and Bradley Road will be closed overnight on Sunday, September 7, and Monday, September 8, from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for asphalt paving operations. Detours will redirect traffic via US 85/87, Fontaine Boulevard, Grinnell Boulevard, Bradley Road, and back to South Academy Boulevard.
Further overnight closures are planned for northbound South Academy Boulevard between US 85/87 and Milton Proby Parkway from Tuesday, September 9 through Thursday, September 11 during the same hours. A detour route will be provided for affected drivers.
Starting Monday, September 8 at 1 a.m., lane reductions will take place on both directions of South Academy Boulevard between Venetucci Boulevard and Coventry Drive. This change is expected to last through September 2025 while crews install new traffic signals and islands. During this period, the two left turn lanes for the Interstate 25 northbound on-ramp will be reduced to one lane. Other auxiliary lanes and shoulders will also see reductions. However, two through lanes in each direction will remain open.
Motorists are advised to expect delays—especially during peak travel times—and should allow extra time when traveling through the area. Drivers accessing I-25 northbound are encouraged to move into the center lane well before reaching the ramp.
Other ongoing changes include a shift of east- and westbound South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Fountain Creek toward the center of the roadway to facilitate work on outside lanes; this configuration is expected until September 2025. Bridge work continues over US 85/87 with narrowed southbound lanes. The alignment of ramps connecting I-25 and South Academy has also shifted; drivers should note shorter acceleration lanes at these locations.
All closures depend on weather conditions and may be rescheduled if necessary.
The improvements cover about a mile-and-a-half stretch of South Academy Boulevard from the I-25 interchange across US Highway 85/87 up to Milton Proby Parkway. The project aims to widen this segment from two lanes to three in each direction in order to reduce congestion. Additional upgrades include improved drainage facilities, lighting enhancements, expanded shoulders, modified merge lanes, sound walls, and bridgework. Completion is anticipated by early 2026.
According to CDOT’s safety assessment for this corridor, these measures are designed to address safety issues by reducing crashes and correcting physical deficiencies that contribute to accidents along this route. Over a projected twenty-year period after completion across four MAMSIP corridors—including I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard, and Charter Oak Ranch Road—the improvements are expected to decrease fatalities and injuries.
The Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program is managed by El Paso County with partial funding from an $18 million BUILD grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation (https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants). The program supports economic stability by improving strategic transportation routes serving military installations such as Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base in El Paso County.
For more information about project updates or detour maps visit codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements or contact CDOT via email or hotline as listed in their public communications.
