Overnight lane closures and ramp shifts are scheduled for South Academy Boulevard and nearby interchanges in Colorado Springs during the week of August 3, 2025. Northbound right lanes on South Academy Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Milton Proby Parkway will be closed overnight on Wednesday, August 6, and Thursday, August 7, from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., as crews remove safety barriers. Motorists are advised to follow posted signage and plan for possible delays.
From Monday, August 4 through Friday, August 8, there will be a full closure of the southbound I-25 off-ramp to westbound South Academy Boulevard between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day to allow for earthwork grading and electrical work near the roadway. The westbound auxiliary lane will also be closed during this time. A detour route will direct traffic exiting southbound I-25 to continue straight for about 200 feet before making a sharp right turn at the intersection.
On Monday morning, August 4, from 8 to 11 a.m., the southbound US Highway 85/87 on-ramp to southbound South Academy Boulevard will shift toward the inside lane so that crews can perform electrical work.
An ongoing shift is moving east- and westbound lanes of South Academy Boulevard between I-25 and Fountain Creek toward the center of the road so construction can take place on outside lanes. This configuration is expected to remain until September 2025.
Lanes across the southbound bridge over US Highway 85/87 are narrowed as bridge work continues in that area. In addition, northbound I-25 off-ramp traffic onto northbound South Academy Boulevard has been shifted onto a new alignment with a shorter acceleration lane.
Motorists should use caution at all entrance ramps along this corridor due to shortened merge lengths; there is also a new on-ramp from US Highway 85/87 onto South Academy Boulevard.
All scheduled closures may change depending on weather conditions.
The improvements under way along approximately one-and-a-half miles of South Academy Boulevard include widening from two lanes to three in each direction with updated drainage facilities, lighting enhancements, expanded shoulders, improved striping, modified merge lanes, sound walls and bridgework. According to project managers in El Paso County overseeing construction efforts: “CDOT conducted a safety assessment for the corridor to evaluate the magnitude and nature of safety problems and analyze the causes of crashes. These transportation improvements are mitigation measures to reduce crashes, improve infrastructure, and address physical deficiencies that contribute to crashes in the corridor. Over the next 20 years, the project is estimated to result in fewer deaths, injuries and crashes on the four MAMSIP corridors.”
This initiative is part of Colorado Department of Transportation’s Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program (MAMSIP), which aims for more efficient travel along Interstate 25 (I-25), Colorado Highway 94 (CO 94), South Academy Boulevard (CO 83), and Charter Oak Ranch Road while supporting economic stability for El Paso County military installations such as Fort Carson; Peterson Space Force Base; Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station; and Schriever Space Force Base [https://www.codot.gov/projects/militaryaccesssafetyimprovements]. The program received partial funding through an $18 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Construction activities are anticipated through early 2026.
