Project Overview
East-west mobility has been an issue in the Pikes Peak Region for many years. Austin Bluffs Parkway is a major arterial roadway and a critical component in cross-town mobility. Several studies, plans and initiatives have defined and verified the need to improve the road. They included the following:
- The City's Intermodal Transportation Plan (ITP)
- The East-West Mobility Study (completed in 2002)
- Conceptual studies of the corridor (completed in 2003)
- The PPRTA ballot initiative, which included several projects along this corridor
Traffic studies concluded that if no improvements were made, congestion would increase and travel times would double. Specific improvements were needed to reduce congestion and travel times; a phased approach not only accommodated fluctuations in funding, but kept traffic moving during the transition. To date, two phases have been completed:
- Phase 1 (completed January 2007): New through-lanes and turn lanes at the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Nevada Avenue
- Phase 2 (completed November 2008): Construction of a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Union Boulevard
This project began the process of Phase 3. The third phase of the corridor improvements targeted the segments from Nevada Avenue to Union Boulevard, from Union Boulevard to Meadowland Boulevard, and from Barnes Road to Old Farm Drive.
