The new two-lane section of Woodmen Road has some citizens wondering why there aren’t more lanes. The improved road is a safety project running east from Marksheffel Road to Meridian Road. More lanes will be built as soon as the county receives environmental clearance. In the meantime, the two new lanes provide improved shoulders, wider lanes and signal lights.The work is paid for primarily through money obtained from the federal government and the Woodmen Road District. County funds represent less than 20 percent of the money needed.To receive the federal funds to build more lanes, we must adhere to federal guidelines and get environmental clearance before construction can proceed. The city of Colorado Springs and El Paso County has submitted environmental documentation through the state and federal government’s processes in expectation of receiving clearance to use federal funding to construct more lanes.The city of Colorado Springs and the county are jointly preparing an environmental assessment study, which proposes increased capacity improvements as the preferred way to address congestion and safety on Woodmen Road.The Federal Highway Administration will soon review this study and make a decision. If the decision supports the proposed action, federal funds will then become available to the city and county to design and construct these improvements. A public notice regarding the environmental assessment documentation for Woodmen Road is coming in the next few months.
