COLORADO SPRINGS — A possible but not certain plan to connect I-25 to Union Boulevard in Colorado Springs with an express route is causing some controversy.
It is one of the ideas in the draft ConnectCos 20-year transportation plan.
There are residents along the route who do not want it even considered.
“Something better would be a greenway. It's a wonderful use of that space. It would be a point of pride for the city,” said neighbor Tom Murawski.
Murawski believes one of the best arguments against the added traffic route is what has happened in other cities.
He said research shows, “In very few years, the traffic returns. So for that temporary gain, neighborhoods, old and cherished ones suffer permanent harm.”
The ConnectCOS planning process is a long-term look that pinpoints where there is traffic congestion, and where growth is happening, it then suggests potential solutions.
The link that would make a non-stop expressway connection from I-25 to Union Boulevard is the one part of the plan with the most resistance.
Opponents say this has been around for decades, shot down previously, and needs to not return.
“20 years ago, a study showed that it was not worth the money, not worth the damage to morale, to neighborhoods,” said Murawski.
“Certainly, all of the concerns brought about by the citizens over the last couple of weeks of those townhall meetings would all be involved in that study as well,” said Colorado Springs Director of Public Works, Travis Easton.
Transportation planners for the city say this is a process of looking into possibilities, but nothing is a done deal.
“The idea was simply, does it make sense to do that? Is it something worthwhile that the city should even consider going forward with? And so we wanted to do a feasibility study to help answer those questions.”
Planners also hear a lot from citizens wanting better east-west routes.
They want to find out more about the Constitution connection option.
“Those benefits may be negligible. The cost may be prohibitive; they may not be. We just don't know any of those answers yet,” said Easton, “So we were thinking, again, a feasibility study to help us determine some of those answers to see whether or not it even makes sense to look at this.”
The Colorado Springs Planning Commission just gave their approval for the ConnectCos plan including the study for the Constitution connection route.
Now, it goes to Colorado City Council for final consideration.
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