Recently, Rebecca and Laura from SpringsTaxpayers were invited to chat with some folks from a Colorado Springs-based civil engineering firm, and a representative for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Why in the world would they want to talk to us?

Well, they are working on the improvement plans at the intersection of Research Parkway and Powers Blvd. and they were looking for input. They gave us a peek at their plans, heard our concerns, and asked us questions. Since Powers is a State highway, it falls under CDOT’s purview, as opposed to the City of Colorado Springs.

The biggest concerns we’ve heard from area residents are about the through traffic on Powers. Yes, the current plan includes an overpass at that intersection, and through-traffic will no longer be required to stop at that intersection. The Powers portion will look similar to the Union and Briargate overpasses.

They walked us through the options for the Research portion, since that traffic is significantly higher than that on Union or Briargate. We looked at their options from both a safety and traffic flow standpoint.  We think they have put some good thought in to their proposed designs.

We told them what you need from them, and we were pleasantly surprised at how open they were to making sure the project goes well for drivers, the schools, and the neighborhoods surrounding the area. We expect the public process will be thorough. When those meetings are planned, we will make sure to share the details.

Their next step is to secure funding from the state; the project is on stand-by until that happens. We’ll keep looking out for you, Colorado Springs, and will post information as we have it.