The El Paso County Board of Commissioners has approved $2.3 million dollars for “critical transportation projects” in the county, according to a news release. Four of the nine projects are in eastern El Paso County.Rio Road and Rio Lane will be paved and a crossing will be added, which should make each “saver and more efficient.” The county also will coordinate with the Colorado Department of Transportation on the Bennett Ranch Creek and Bluegill Drainage project. CDOT is moving the bridge there to better align with the drainage flow from the Bennett Ranch Basin, which will reduce drainage impacts to public and private property.The county also will reshape and gravel the surface of Myers Road, the main east/west corridor in southern El Paso County, along with improving the drainage structures underneath the road.Ellicott will gain a well and storage tank, which, according to the county, will “provide an adequate water source for dust control in that part of the county.” The well will service 484 square miles of road in the southeast portion of the county.Commissioner Sallie Clark commented on the above projects: “While we have so many needs in the county and prioritization of limited funds is difficult, the improvements to these areas have been a long time coming. Investing in the transportation system by making our roads safer and more efficient for county citizens is an important priority, especially for those who live in areas with limited road access.”In a separate phone interview, Douglas Bruce, county commissioner for District 2, said he did not vote for the overall project because of Myers Road as the No. 1 priority project. Bruce, however, does support the Rio Road makeover.Other projects in the county include paving Bowstring Road in the northern part of the county. And in the southern area of the county, including Fountain, the county will reconstruct the Security ditch and repair and improve Woody Creek, Forest Road and Claiborne Street.
