Lane closures and detours are scheduled on South Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs during the week of August 3, 2025, as part of ongoing construction activities. Northbound right lane closures between Interstate 25 and Milton Proby Parkway will take place overnight on Wednesday, August 6, and Thursday, August 7, from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., to allow for safety barrier removal. Motorists are advised to follow posted signage and expect delays.
A full closure of the southbound I-25 off-ramp to westbound South Academy Boulevard is planned from Monday, August 4 through Friday, August 8, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., for earthwork grading and electrical work. The westbound auxiliary lane will also be closed during this period. A detour route will direct traffic exiting southbound I-25 to continue straight for about 200 feet before making a hard right at the intersection.
Additionally, the southbound US Highway 85/87 on-ramp to southbound South Academy Boulevard will shift to the inside lane on Monday, August 4 from 8 to 11 a.m. for electrical work near the roadway.
An ongoing shift of east- and westbound South Academy Boulevard lanes between I-25 and Fountain Creek toward the center allows crews to work on outside lanes; this alignment is expected to remain until September 2025.
Drivers should use caution as lanes are narrowed across the southbound bridge over US Highway 85/87 due to continued bridge work. The northbound I-25 off-ramp to northbound South Academy Boulevard has shifted alignment with a shortened acceleration lane.
Motorists are reminded that merge lengths have been reduced at all entrance ramps in the area and that there is a new on-ramp from US Highway 85/87 onto South Academy Boulevard. All scheduled closures depend on weather conditions and may change accordingly.
The South Academy Boulevard Widening Project covers approximately one-and-a-half miles from the I-25 interchange past US Highway 85/87 toward Milton Proby Parkway (which connects with Powers Boulevard/CO 21). The project aims to widen this section from two lanes to three in each direction in order to address recurring congestion issues. Improvements include expanded shoulders, modified merge lanes, drainage upgrades, lighting enhancements, striping updates, sound walls, and bridgework. El Paso County manages this project with completion expected by early 2026.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) conducted a safety assessment along this corridor before starting construction. 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.” CDOT estimates that over the next two decades these efforts will result in fewer deaths, injuries, and crashes across four Military Access Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP) corridors.
The Military Access Mobility & Safety Improvement Program is designed by CDOT “to deliver more efficient and safer mobility along I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard, and Charter Oak Ranch Road,” supporting economic stability while improving strategic movement among military installations such as Fort Carson and Peterson Space Force Base in El Paso County. The program received partial funding through an $18 million BUILD grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants).
For further information or alerts regarding construction activities related to MAMSIP projects visit https://www.codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements or text MAMSIP to 888-970-9665.
