S. Nevada - Ivywild Transportation Improvements

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The existing intersection of South Tejon Street, Cascade Avenue, Ramona Avenue, and Cheyenne Boulevard currently includes five approaches to a single point. To improve safety, capacity and traffic flow, the City of Colorado Springs is reconstructing the intersection as a modern roundabout. The modern roundabout solution at this signalized intersection will improve operations, reduce travel delay, reduce long-term maintenance costs with the removal of the traffic signal, and carry bicyclists and pedestrians fully through all legs of the intersection. It will also improve traffic operations and enhance the sense of community in compliance with the Ivywild Neighborhood Master Plan and the historic character of the neighborhood.

The angles of the existing approaches are difficult for motorists to negotiate.  The angle of each approach creates poor sight distance and makes it more difficult for people traveling through the intersection to follow wayfinding signage or know what direction to take to negate to their destination.  As a result, the intersection creates considerable delay even in the absence of significant traffic volumes.  A secondary consequence is that local drivers avoid the intersection by cutting through nearby neighborhood streets, creating other local traffic conflicts and neighborhood concerns.

Design of the roundabout project occurred in 2014/15 as a community-building, collaborative process with the Ivywild School redevelopment area and the adjacent neighborhood.

Project Benefits

• Improved intersection operation and public safety during peak and off-peak hours
• Safer passage for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Promote air quality by improved traffic circulation
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Implement elements of PlanCOS (City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan)
• Stimulate economic vitality within nearby Urban Renewal Areas and Neighborhood Strategy Area
• Streetscape enhancements for improved neighborhood appearance

Project Boards

Funding: City General Fund

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Originally constructed in 1925, the Cascade Avenue Bridge over Cheyenne Creek in the Ivywild neighborhood has exceeded its design life and is functionally obsolete. Although not structurally deficient, the bridge does not functionally convey motorized or non-motorized traffic safely. The roadway and bridge are not wide enough to accommodate the types of vehicles and traffic it’s expected to carry with today’s criteria. The City of Colorado Springs is replacing the bridge with a similar structure (concrete arch) that will be wide enough to accommodate the current functional needs and provide a crossing of Cheyenne Creek for the next 100 years.

As part of the project, South Cascade Avenue has converted to one-way southbound between Brookside Street to the roundabout. 

Project Benefits

• Wider bridge to accommodate additional motorized and non-motorized traffic in the area
• Additional on street parking along South Cascade Avenue to help move parking out of the neighborhood residential streets
• Connected and continuous sidewalks for pedestrian safety
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Supports PlanCOS (City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan)
• Stimulate economic vitality within nearby Urban Renewal Areas and Neighborhood Strategy Area
• Supports City Strategic Plan Goals: promoting job creation, investing in infrastructure, and building community & collaborative relationships

The project includes

• Demolish and remove the nearly 95-year-old functionally obsolete bridge structure
• Construct a new, wider bridge to accommodate vehicular traffic, on street parking and sidewalks
• Widening Cascade Avenue bridge approach
• Improved drainage
• Accommodations for pedestrians
• Additional diagonal parking along South Cascade Avenue
• During construction, the roundabout work will be phased to allow both northbound and southbound access to the properties on South Cascade Avenue between Cheyenne Boulevard and the bridge replacement project