Overnight traffic operations are scheduled for South Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs as part of the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program. The Colorado Springs Police Department will conduct mobile traffic pacing on both northbound and southbound lanes between Venetucci Boulevard and Milton Proby Parkway. These operations, along with brief ramp closures at various interchanges, will occur overnight on Sunday, October 19, and Monday, October 20, from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., for the testing and inspection of new asphalt pavement.
A right shoulder closure is also planned for the southbound South Academy Boulevard on-ramp from Coventry Drive to I-25 on Monday, October 20, during the same overnight hours. This closure is to allow crews to perform electrical work near the roadway.
Ongoing lane reductions continue on southbound South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Coventry Drive for traffic signal and island installations. This alignment is expected to remain until October 27. Additionally, there will be a left lane closure under I-25 on southbound South Academy Boulevard, with two through lanes remaining open. The left turn lane from northbound South Academy Boulevard onto the northbound I-25 on-ramp will also be closed west of the southbound I-25 on-ramps.
Motorists are advised to expect delays, especially during peak travel times, and are encouraged to allow extra time, maintain safe following distances, and merge early when approaching work zones. Drivers accessing I-25 southbound should move into the center lane in advance.
A shift in east- and westbound South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Fountain Creek towards the center remains in effect to facilitate work on outside lanes. This shift is anticipated through November 2025. Lanes across the northbound bridge over US 85/87 will be narrowed for ongoing bridge work.
All closures are weather-dependent and may change.
The South Academy Boulevard Widening Project focuses on expanding approximately 1.5 miles of roadway from two lanes to three in each direction between the I-25 interchange and Milton Proby Parkway, which connects with Powers Boulevard/CO 21. Additional improvements include enhanced drainage facilities, lighting, striping, expanded shoulders, modified merge lanes, sound walls, and bridgework. El Paso County manages this project with completion expected by early 2026.
According to a safety assessment conducted by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), these improvements aim to address recurring congestion and reduce crashes along the corridor by improving infrastructure and mitigating physical deficiencies that contribute to accidents. Over a twenty-year period, CDOT estimates that these measures will lead to fewer deaths, injuries, and crashes along four key corridors in the Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP).
The program is partially funded by an $18 million BUILD grant from the US Department of Transportation. Its goal is to provide safer mobility along I-25, Colorado Highway 94, South Academy Boulevard, and Charter Oak Ranch Road while supporting economic stability and development in the region. The improvements are designed to strengthen strategic movement between major military installations in El Paso County: Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Schriever Space Force Base.
For more information about ongoing projects or alerts related to MAMSIP construction activities visit codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements.
