FOUNTAIN — The City of Fountain was hit particularly hard after torrential rain and flash flooding swept across parts of El Paso County on Monday.
Bandley Drive near I-25 was closed in two different areas after dead and fallen trees dammed flood waters until they overflowed a nearby bridge. Peaceful Valley Road, just east of Marksheffel Road, was closed all day Monday when three feet of water flooded the street, blocking the only entrance and exit point to a neighborhood of around 100 homes.
Todd Evans, Deputy Manager for the City of Fountain, said the cost to make improvements to those areas to withstand future flooding would be around $20 million. He said without the help of taxpayers, the city does not have enough money in its general funds to make those repairs.
"We get maintenance funding from the general fund, but nothing that would come close to building these capital improvements that we need," said Evans.
He said about two months ago Fountain City Council approved moving forward with a ballot initiative for voters to decide in November whether to join the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA). PPRTA is funded by taxpayers to make capital improvements to aging infrastructure, like roads, bridges, and drainage systems. There are six regional governments part of PPRTA: the cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, and the towns of Green Mountain Falls, Ramah and Calhan.
"Without that capital funding to be able to build the large infrastructure improvements, we really don't have the funding, and we really don't have anything on the planning board to be able to do other than to build bridges over these low water crossings," said Evans.
He said funds from PPRTA would be the best option for improving areas that are hit hardest by flooding. Evans said the city must await approval from the PPRTA board before it can send the question to voters in November.
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