A temporary full closure of southbound South Academy Boulevard between US 85/87 and Interstate 25 is scheduled for Sunday, November 16, from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., according to an announcement from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The closure will include on- and off-ramps to Coventry Drive as crews install overhead signage over the roadway. A contingency night is planned for Monday, November 17, during the same hours if needed.
During the closure, southbound traffic on South Academy Boulevard will be detoured onto US 85/87, then northwest to B Street, south to Magrath Avenue, east to re-enter South Academy Boulevard. Drivers on US 85/87 intending to enter southbound South Academy Boulevard will be rerouted south to Mesa Ridge Parkway, west onto northbound Interstate 25, then north to exit 135 before turning west onto South Academy.
Additional lane closures are expected between Venetucci Boulevard and Milton Proby Parkway from Sunday, November 16 through Friday, November 21, between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. These alternating north- and southbound lane closures will allow crews to continue work on signage installation as well as remaining roadway, drainage, traffic signal and utility tasks. At least one thru lane in each direction will remain open during this period.
Drivers are advised to follow posted speed limits and remain alert for flaggers and construction equipment in the work zone.
The ongoing South Academy Boulevard Widening Project focuses on expanding a roughly 1.5-mile section of the road from two lanes to three in each direction. The project area stretches from the I-25 interchange across US 85/87 toward Milton E. Proby Parkway. In addition to widening the road, improvements include upgraded drainage facilities, lighting, striping, expanded shoulders, modified merge lanes, sound walls and bridgework. Completion is anticipated by early 2026.
El Paso County manages this project while CDOT conducted a safety assessment of the corridor to address crash causes and infrastructure deficiencies. According to CDOT: “These transportation improvements are mitigation measures to reduce crashes, improve infrastructure, and address physical deficiencies that contribute to crashes in the corridor.” The department estimates that over the next two decades these changes will lead to fewer deaths and injuries along four Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP) corridors.
CDOT has launched a broader initiative aimed at improving mobility along I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard and Charter Oak Ranch Road with partial funding from an $18 million BUILD grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation. “The delivery of these improvements will strengthen and enhance the redundancy of strategic movement between the nationally significant El Paso County military installations of Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base,” according to CDOT.
More information about the project can be found at codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements or by texting MAMSIP to 888-970-9665 for alerts.
