corridor history

The complete vision for Powers Boulevard a four- to six-lane facility, approximately 36 miles in length, with its northern and southern terminus connecting with I-25. Ultimately it is intended to be a grade-separated freeway.

 

This project focuses on Powers South from Mesa Ridge Parkway (CO 16) to I-25 utilizing the preferred alternative locations from the South Powers Boulevard Feasibility Study of July 2000. There is currently a large amount of development in this rapidly growing area of the City of Fountain and El Paso County (EPC). While most of the project area is currently within the jurisdiction of the County, it is likely that a significant portion of the currently developing areas within the corridor may be incorporated into the Cities of Fountain or Colorado Springs as development progresses. While it is anticipated that South Powers Boulevard shall begin as a locally owned road, it is expected that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) shall eventually maintain it as a state highway. Close coordination shall be required with the Cities of Fountain and Colorado Springs, EPC, and CDOT regarding these considerations throughout the project.

 

Since 1963, Powers Boulevard was planned as a by-pass alternative for I-25 along the eastern edge of the City of Colorado Springs. As one of the State of Colorado's 28 strategic corridors and a key element of the National Highway System, Powers Boulevard is a critical corridor supporting local, regional, and national mobility. It is a critical component of the Region's Congestion Management Plan, provides access to five major military installations, shall be the major north/south thoroughfare for the rapidly developing eastern edge of the City of Colorado Springs, and provides direct access to the City of Colorado Springs Airport and its surrounding business park. 

 

Regional partners (El Paso County/Fountain/Colorado Springs/CDOT/Federal Highway Administration/Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments) are working together to continue planning for the South Powers Boulevard corridor that will help preserve right-of-way, plan for limited access for the freeway standard, plan for multimodal use and crossings of the corridor, and provide predictability to development by studying an alignment.  

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In 2000, a Feasibility Study determined the appropriate corridor plan and alignment for the extension of Powers Boulevard south from Fontaine Boulevard to a connection with I-25. The corridor plan defines the proper phasing and next steps for the implementation of completing Powers Boulevard to the South. The study was led by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), collaborating with the Colorado Department of Transportation, El Paso County, and the City of Fountain. These agencies formed the Technical Team.

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The Pikes Peak Region has a long history of cooperative and collaborative planning. Together, that has established a joint vision for orderly development, environmental stewardship, and a connected, multimodal regional transportation network to serve the region. Prominent among the planning that established a strong foundation for the full Powers Boulevard corridor, from/to connections to/from Interstate 25 to the north and south of the Colorado Springs metropolitan area, are land use, transportation, and urban growth plans that have been developed jointly and separately by the PPACG, El Paso County, the City of Colorado Springs, and the City of Fountain.