COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A section of North Cheyenne Canyon Road, from the main entrance of North Cheyenne Cañon Park to the parking lot at Helen Hunt Falls, will be closed weekdays (Monday-Friday) beginning Feb. 8 to facilitate the construction of a temporary bypass road ahead of a larger bridge replacement project in the park. North Cheyenne Cañon Park will remain open during the road closure, which is expected to last through the end of March. The road will be fully open on Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors can expect to see heavy machinery and should use caution around the construction area. 

The temporary bypass road is being built around a bridge that is slated for reconstruction in fall 2021. It is located near pull-off No. 24 in the park (labeled in this project map as “bridge C”). The temporary bypass road is necessary until the bridge is replaced so that vehicles larger than a heavy-duty pickup truck can continue to use North Cheyenne Canyon Road. Due to safety restrictions, heavy vehicles cannot use the existing bridge.

“We would like to thank park users for their patience during this bridge maintenance effort,” said Aaron Egbert, project manager and senior engineer with the City of Colorado Springs. “We understand how important this park is to the community, and we are committed to replacing these bridges as safely and efficiently as possible. This is a vital first step in the onsite construction process.”

The bridge maintenance effort includes the excavation of onsite material; installation of asphalt and other materials; clearing, tree removal and channel work; guardrail remediation; and pipe installation. It will also add stop signs on each end of the bridge so that heavy vehicles can safely use the bypass road. This bridge maintenance effort is funded by the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA).

Upcoming North Cheyenne Canyon bridge replacement project information

The North Cheyenne Canyon bridge replacement project, scheduled to begin this fall following the park’s peak summer visitation months, will replace three of the vehicular bridges in the park, requiring additional temporary road closures. Project design is currently nearing completion.

The three bridges, all built in the early 1900s, are being reconstructed to address safety issues and to provide continued community use of the roadway and adequate emergency service access. By proactively replacing these structures before they completely fail, costs can be managed, work can be planned efficiently, and impacts to the natural resources and park users can be minimized.

More information about this bridge replacement project is available atColoradoSprings.gov/NCCBridgeReplacement.

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Media note: A map of the road closure and a current photo of the bridge where the temporary bypass road will be constructed is attached for your use (photo credit: City of Colorado Springs).