Construction activity quieted this winter on South Academy Boulevard, but work will ramp up this weekend as Colorado Springs embarks on the second half of a $100 million project. “This is a hub of commerce for that whole southeast part of Colorado Springs,” said Ryan Phipps, the city’s capi tal improvements manager. The first phase of the road project repaved and improved South Academy from Bijou Street to Airport Road, starting in 2023. Phipps said community feedback on that project prompted the city to reevaluate how it would tackle the next section, from East Fountain Boulevard to Jet Wing Drive. “The way that project was executed didn’t align with the values of that community, and that’s why we took this pause,” he said. Small businesses in the construction zone felt impacts from closures, which sometimes blocked main access and obstructed traffic. The city’s plan for the second phase will have work move more slowly to prevent major lane and access closures. The estimated completion date is summer 2028. “We’re hoping people don’t mind us as neighbors a little bit longer if we’re not impacting their daily activities quite as much,” he said. Felipe Velasquez, whose restaurant, Felipe’s 109, closed last fall, said the construction harmed his business during the project’s first phase. He said construction lasted much longer than anticipated and contributed to the closure of his businesses and others. “Construction is going to be great in the future, but there’s no help for small businesses now,” he said. While he remains skeptical about plans to mitigate effects on small business owners in the new phase of construction, he said the city has set up a resource to hear concerns. Sabrina Bacon, who owns and runs Sabrina’s Soul Food Kitchen on South Academy near Jet Wing Drive, said the previous round of construction cut into her busy lunch hour for Fort Carson commuters. “It was so inconvenient,” she said. Rosa Mariscal, the owner of Bella Dama Alterations and Dresses, said the roadway “gets ugly” after 3 p.m. She said she would like to see potholes addressed. Construction will start this weekend with overnight closures of South Academy from Astrozon Boulevard to the Hancock Expressway on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. The next section will be Hancock Expressway to Drennan Road, closed in the overnight hours of Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be a full corridor closure from Astrozon to Drennan on Sunday, Jan. 25. Detours will be posted with signs directing traffic and at the project’s website. There, people can also find contact information for project managers and the latest closure information. The South Academy project is paid for with a federal grant and tax funds collected through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority. During construction, Colorado Springs Utilities will upgrade the area’s infrastructure. Phipps asked that drivers in the area exercise caution in the new construction zones. “We would encourage people to use Academy businesses as usual, just slow down during construction, please,” he said. ...read more read less