current cdot masthead
Colorado of Department of Transportation 
June 2015
Project Schedule 
  • Pre-Construction start: June 2015
  • Phase 0 Construction (offline): July 2015
  • Phase 1 Construction (mainline work): March 2016
  • Fully Operational: Fall 2017
Share Your Stories 

The I-25/Cimarron Interchange was originally constructed in 1960.  Did you live in Colorado Springs at that time and remember it being built/before it was built? Are you interested in sharing a few "Back in Time" stories about the interchange, or memories of what you were doing or what was going on in the community/world at that point in time?

If so, send an email with your story and contact information to [email protected]
Stay Connected  
 

Website: 

Colorado Info Project

Email: [email protected]

Hotline: (719) 302-6781

To receive project updates and construction notices, send an email to:

Sign Up to Receive
E-newsletters

 

To receive future I-25/Cimarron project e-newsletters and construction notices, send an email to [email protected].

 

Prioritized Project Goals

 

Project goals were established and approved by the Executive Oversight Committee. The goals provide direction to the project team and to the design-build contractor team.

 

Project Goals 

1. Maximize overall safety, capacity and operation of the interchange and the surrounding transportation network within the Project budget;

 

2. Complete Project construction to be fully operational before December 1, 2017;

 

3. Minimize impacts and inconvenience to the community, motorists, businesses, downtown and the public during construction; and

 

4. Achieve an aesthetically pleasing design compatible with current and future amenities and enhancements in and around the interchange.

 

"The project goals were developed and prioritized by several community organizations in collaboration with the project team and were used to help establish the project contract requirements."  

-Dave Watt, 

CDOT Region 2 Resident Engineer
 

What the Project Involves 

 

Planned improvements include reconstructing I-25 between Colorado Avenue (to the north) and the Nevada Avenue/Tejon Street interchange (to the south), and include a continuous northbound travel lane between the S. Nevada/ Tejon interchange and the Cimarron interchange. Project boundaries on Cimarron are between 8th Street to the west and the Cimarron bridge over Fountain Creek to the east. Once construction is complete in 2017, the project will provide:
  • Improved interstate and interchange operations and safety;
  • Improved highway alignment and improved ramps, acceleration/deceleration lanes for increased vehicle storage and safety;
  • New I-25 bridge structures;
  • New connection between 8th Street and Cimarron Street; 
  • Improved trail connectivity and aesthetic treatments. Reconstruction of approximately 2,100 feet of Upper Fountain Creek, enhancing stream habitat.
Project Partners
  • Colorado Department of Transportation
  • Federal Highway Administration
  • City of Colorado Springs
  • El Paso County
  • The Community


Click to view larger map: 
Like us on Facebook 
Follow us on Twitter

 Interstate-25/Cimarron Interchange 

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Signifies Official Start of Construction

From left to right: Kraemer NA Project Manager Mark Olsen, CDOT Project Manager Lesley Mace, CDOT Resident Engineer/Project Director Dave Watt, CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt, El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, City of Colorado Springs Chief of Staff Steve Cox, Colorado Transportation Commissioner Les Gruen, Federal Highway Administration Colorado Division Administrator John Cater, City of Manitou Springs Mayor Marc Snyder, and CDOT Regional Transportation Director Karen Rowe

 

On Thursday, May 27 the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Design-Build Team of Kraemer North America, LLC and Tsiouvaras Simmons Holderness hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at America The Beautiful Park, signaling the official start of the Interstate-25/Cimarron project, the second largest transportation project in Colorado Springs' history behind COSMIX.

 

"Currently, this is one of the oldest interchanges in the region," said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Karen Rowe. "Most of the bridges within the interchange were built in 1959. It worked well in its day, but with more traffic volume, deterioration over time and improvements in vehicle design, it's now structurally deficient. Once reconstructed, it will handle more vehicles with enhanced multi-modal travel for those using I-25, Highway 24 and Cimarron Street and the trail system." Current volume at this interchange is in excess of 150,000 vehicles on an average day, nearly double what it was initially designed and built to handle.

 

"A number of organizations provided the much needed funds to make this project a reality," said CDOT  Executive Director Shailen Bhatt. "One of the entities included RAMP  (Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships) funding. I am thrilled that RAMP funding was provided for this important project." Other funding sources included:

  • CDOT Regional Priority Program (RPP) funds
  • CDOT Bridge Replacement, FASTER Safety and Resurfacing funds
  • Local Federal Metro Funds
  • City of Colorado Springs local match funds
  • El Paso County local match funds 

Thank you to Linda Weiss, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Conservatory and a group of her students who made the groundbreaking even more memorable by playing instruments and singing a medley of highway songs, customized for the Pikes Peak Region.

 Project Team Informs Public About 
Upcoming Construction Activities
The I-25/Cimarron interchange reconstruction project is crucial for the citizens and businesses of the Pikes Peak region and downtown Colorado Springs.


 

More than 130 people attended the I-25 Cimarron public open house Tuesday, May 26, at the City Auditorium. A short, formal presentation included speakers CDOT Regional Transportation Director Karen Rowe, City of Colorado Springs Transportation Director Kathleen Krager, El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, CDOT Resident Engineer/Project Director Dave Watt and Kraemer NA Project Manager Mark Olsen. Following the presentation, an informal open house with information stations provided plenty of opportunities for the public to meet and ask questions of the project team.

Information stations covered the following topics:
  • Project overview and schedule milestones
  • Project aesthetics
  • Traffic management
  • Park/trail/stream improvements
  • New connection between 8th Street and Cimarron Street 

"When complete, this will be a high-functioning interchange that safely handles more vehicles and enhances multi-modal travel for those using I-25, U.S. 24/Cimarron Street and the trail system along Monument and Fountain Creeks," said CDOT Resident Engineer Dave Watt.

 

If you were unable to attend the open house, or attended and want to review the materials, click below.

Project at a Glance and Project Team

Presentation

Meeting Boards 


8th Street Connection to Cimarron Street

 

  1. A new signalized intersection on 8th street improves ingress/egress for Colorado Place Center retail and services the quadrant intersection.
  2. Exclusive right turn lane from NB 8th to EB US 24 serves high right turn volume.
  3. The quadrant reduces the amount of WB left turn movements at the existing signal allowing for a longer EB through movement on US 24. In addition, WB US 24 traffic always has a green light.
  4. The seventh lane on the bridge over Upper Fountain Creek allows lane balance on US 24 and double left turns to the quadrant intersection.
  5. A second SB I-25 to WB US 24 right turn lane will be signalized, reducing weaving traffic destined for 8th Street from I-25. Although not a project requirement, this is an important operational improvement.
  6. Signalized double rights for NB 8th Street (quadrant) to EB US 24, which eliminates merging and weaving conflicts along US 24.
  7. This design retains the Acorn Gas Station and improves access for drivers traveling WB on US 24.
Other distinguishing features include:
  • Meets CDOT and City of Colorado Springs design criteria.
  • A design that reduces congestion-related accidents.

Additional Project Information

 

For more information about the project, visit the CDOT website project pageTo receive future I-25/Cimarron project e-newsletters and construction notices, send an email to [email protected].