The Rock Island Trail is getting major upgrades on the east side of Colorado Springs, with construction underway to fill in missing sections and make the route safer for walkers, runners, and cyclists.The city is building 2 mile s of urban trail between Sand Creek and Constitution Boulevard, just east of Powers Boulevard. The project also includes a 210-foot pedestrian bridge spanning Sand Creek and a new pedestrian-activated crossing at Peterson Road.Emily Duncan, the city's trails development coordinator, described the scope of the work."Our department is starting construction of the Rock Island Trail from Sand Creek to Constitution Boulevard, just east of Powers. That'll be two miles of urban trail, as well as the installation of a 210-foot pedestrian bridge that spans Sand Creek and a pedestrian-activated crossing at Peterson Boulevard," Duncan said.Right now, people using this part of the trail do not have a designated spot to cross Peterson Road, which has kept some families from venturing beyond the routes they already know.Keaton Deer, who uses the trail with his family, said the busy road is a barrier."It's pretty busy traffic most of the time, and especially with the kids, don't like going across busy traffic," Deer said.His wife, Danielle Deer, said the lack of a crosswalk has kept them away from a nearby park."There's the park across that we never really go there, just because, like he said, there's no crosswalks," Danielle Deer said.The new crossing will feature flashing beacons and a median island designed to make crossing Peterson Road safer. Trail users say the broader expansion could also encourage more people to get outside."Just really any sort of trail system that's accessible to bike and hiking would get more people out there," Danielle Deer said.Until construction is complete, the Parks Department is asking people to stay out of construction areas. Drivers should also expect minor traffic impacts around Peterson Road while the crossing is installed.The city plans to finish this section by winter. However, not every gap in the trail will be filled at once. The next missing piece is near Powers Boulevard, but that segment is already in the design phase.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy._______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. ...read more read less