COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Drivers and pedestrians who call the area near Marksheffel Road and Dublin Boulevard home say they are no strangers to orange and white cones, but ongoing construction is causing daily disruptions.
An ongoing project since the summer of 2023, the construction has closed the Marksheffel entrance to the Tarren Heights neighborhood since March 16.
According to the project website, the Tarren Heights entrance is said to be closed for several months, but is on track to be completed by late 2026.
Meantime, Dublin Blvd is undergoing construction of its own, adjacent to the updates coming to Marksheffel. A March 26 update says the first three segments of this road are greater than 60% complete with the 4th segment taking place where Marksheffel and Dublin intersect. City officials say the project's completion is four months ahead of schedule.
All day Sunday, drivers tried to maneuver the many signs and slowdowns just to get to their local nail salon and Ziggi's coffee.
"It's been months and months and months of this," said one resident.
Homeowner Shelby Quintana, who lives in Banning Lewis Ranch, said the commute is twice as long.
"I leave about 45 minutes early. Usually, it should take me 20 minutes," said Quintana.
It is not just drivers feeling the impact. Shelby Quintana's daughter, Riley Quintana, also sees impacts when she rides her scooter to nearby stores or to see friends.
"It's annoying, so I just try to maneuver," said Riley Quintana.
Kassidy Smith and her wife live over a mile west of the construction on Dublin Boulevard.
"My wife is in the military, so we just moved here," said Smith.
As newcomers, Smith said the lack of signage results in them making a wrong turn.
"We actually had to go to this stoplight and drive half a mile north just to come back here," said Smith.
"At this intersection, there's no sign indicating you can turn there. At this one, too, there's no signage that you can turn there either," said Smith.
In spite of all the signage and traffic, many people also complained of speeding. Whether on a construction or regular road, people who live in the area say they regularly see drivers going 10, 20, and even 30 miles above posted speed limits.
___
Many unhappy with CDOT's proposed Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road change to roundabout
Big changes are on the way to the Judge Orr Road and US Highway 24 intersection in Peyton.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
