Photo courtesy of WW Clyde
With almost 100 years of experience building projects across the Intermountain West, WW Clyde serves as the contractor for the project.
To enhance safety and improve traffic flow, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is constructing a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) at the intersection of Airport Road and Powers Boulevard (Colorado Highway 21 / U.S. Highway 24).
Work in Colorado Springs by contractor WW Clyde includes bridge and ramp construction, placing embankments, concrete paving, overhead sign structure installation, new traffic signal systems and permanent water quality ponds.
Photo courtesy of WW Clyde
"With more than 50,000 vehicles traveling Powers Boulevard each day here at Airport Road, along with the Powers Corridor planning project, the need for an interchange at this location was indicated and was added to our 10-year priority project list," CDOT Region 2 Transportation Director Shane Ferguson said. "This DDI will address congestion, improve safety and add multimodal facilities that will allow for a safer and more comfortable travel experience for cars, pedestrians and cyclists."
Powers Boulevard (CO 21) extends from Colorado Highway 16 to Colorado Highway 83, conveying commercial and personal travel and functioning as part of the National Highway System. Airport Road serves as an east-west travel route through Colorado Springs and is a critical access point for the west gate of Peterson Space Force Base.
A DDI crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road across an interchange, so vehicles have unimpeded movement onto ramps. Left-turn movements which are a challenge with standard four-way interchanges are eliminated, reducing delays, conflict points and wrong-way entry to ramps.
Safety and mobility for passenger and commercial vehicles traveling through El Paso County is essential, especially along a corridor that's seen exponential growth over the past several years. Of the 103 crashes from 2018 to 2022, nearly 60 percent were rear-end crashes, which will be improved significantly by removing the signalized intersection on Powers Boulevard, thus eliminating stops on Powers Boulevard.
"It's very rewarding to be a part of the team making tangible progress, from detention ponds to the erection of a bridge," CDOT Project Engineer Patti Henschen said. "The project will provide significant benefits to the area, such as safer multimodal options and better traffic flow."
Two DDIs have already been built in the area.
"The Powers/Research interchange has not been opened long enough to have solid data about its performance from a safety perspective, but it is operating effectively in greatly reducing the delays on Powers Boulevard at the once highly congested intersection," CDOT Region 2 North Program Engineer John Hall said. "Full conversions of at-grade signalized intersections to DDIs are less common — more often converting an existing interchange, but nationwide data shows expected total crash reductions of 24 percent."
The I-25/Fillmore Street DDI was a conversion of the existing interchange and opened fully in 2017. Comparing five years of data before and after construction found a 50 percent reduction in all crashes and a 44 percent reduction in injury crashes.
With almost 100 years of experience building projects across the Intermountain West, WW Clyde is equipped for the project.
"WW Clyde is no stranger to complex projects that require attention to detail, meeting and beating schedules and providing owners with the best quality products," WW Clyde Project Manager Brooke Miller said. "Our production moves fast, but ensures the quality is met throughout all operations."
WW Clyde Senior Project Manager Jim Klemperer said that maintaining traffic is the main challenge for the project.
Photo courtesy of WW Clyde
"Ensuring the safety of construction crews and the traveling public is of the utmost importance to us, CDOT and all subcontractors."
Crews are working on excavation, embankment, drainage, utility relocations, erosion control and preparing for bridge substructure work. Initial construction began in late June, with crews working the northeast and northwest corners of the intersection to clear the land, relocate utilities and perform a significant amount of excavation and embankment work.
Major construction and site work are required to build the new DDI. This involves grading, bridge construction, electrical and signalization, walls and paving. The job requires moving 385,000 cu. yds. of embankment.
Klemperer said most of the work that will take place is off the mainline and will not significantly affect motorists.
"Temporary concrete barriers were placed prior to the project start during overnight hours to lessen impacts on traffic and congestion. There are now 24/7 shoulder closures to ensure the safety of construction crews and the traveling public.
"A portion of the initial phase of work required the closure of the northbound on-ramp to Powers Boulevard, which negatively impacted Peterson Space Force Base staff during the afternoon shift change. CDOT and our team worked closely with Peterson security and leadership staff to pivot and allow the ramp to be open from 3 to 6 p.m. during peak times of traffic."
According to the Department of Defense, Peterson Space Force Base has more than 8,700 active-duty military personnel, 1,300 reservists, 10,000 family members, 1,900 civilians and 23,000 military retirees. Space Base Delta 1 also is headquartered here.
"Peterson Space Force Base is one of three military installations in El Paso County and is a top employer for Colorado Springs," Klemperer said. "Providing smooth traffic flow for personnel is crucial to the economy for Colorado Springs and surrounding communities."
Bridge and ramp construction will be a significant undertaking. The two bridges are being built over busy Powers Boulevard. It will be a two-span bridge that will use two phases to get the superstructure work accomplished by shifting traffic during a series of night shifts to minimize impacts to motorists.
For concrete paving, crews will be using slipform paving equipment to pave most of the work, as well as hand pouring smaller sections. Also, to prevent pollution and degradation of waters from roadway pollutants, CDOT requires the installation of permanent water quality control measures that are selected, designed, installed, implemented and maintained using good engineering, hydrologic and pollution control practices.
"Water quality ponds are shallow depressions designed to protect the environment by filtering pollutants from stormwater runoff before the runoff enters adjacent waterways," Klemperer said. "The proposed ponds will be located on CDOT property adjacent to the new interchange."
Somewhat unexpected for crews is a significant amount of utility relocation work to be carried out by crews, who also must be aware of the forecast throughout construction.
"The Pikes Peak region experiences wide shifts in temperature from well below freezing in the winter to peak temperatures of 95-plus degrees," Klemperer said. "Snow and low temperatures affect concrete pavement cure rates. Project phasing has been developed to account for typical weather patterns, but some delays may occur. Apps on cellphones will be used by all crews on the job to plan for upcoming inclement weather."
Photo courtesy of WW Clyde
Construction milestones include bridge girder placement, pouring the bridge deck, bridge completion and final traffic shifts on to the new DDI. Once the new interchange alignment is in place, old roadway segments will be abandoned and demolished.
Earthwork heavy machinery on site includes scrapers, dozers, loaders, trucks and excavators. For the construction of the bridges and ramps, concrete paving equipment, cranes and asphalt paving equipment will be required.
For Klemperer and the construction team on site, building the DDI will be time-consuming but well worth the investment.
"It's rewarding to be a part of providing a safe way for people to get through the area in an organized interchange. This project will also help economic growth in the area by keeping traffic moving."
The new intersection is being built away from the existing one, with work expected to be completed in 2026. CEG
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