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BearCreek 8th Street Trail Closure

8th St Construction – Bear Creek Trail Closure July 2026

Heads up, the Bear Creek Trail, Connecting the Pikes Peak Greenway to Walmart, 8th Street and Bear Creek Park scheduled for closure from July 6–17, 2026, for construction. As we look at the city’s detour plan, we’ve got some real concerns about how this will actually work on the ground.

Bike Colorado Springs Instagram slides announcing the closure details and concerns

Bear Creek Trail Closure Detour Issues

Once informed of the closure and proposed detour Bike Colorado Springs reached out to the 8th Street Construction team and the City to share our concerns.

  • The detour route has recently been blocked: The city is suggesting a detour onto the east side of 8th Street, but that sidewalk between Mays Point and Moreno Avenue has already been closed for weeks due to the ongoing construction at the old Hobby Lobby site. We are pushing the city to clarify if that will reopen in time to accommodate trail users.
  • Safety and capacity: That sidewalk is only about 3–4 feet wide and sits directly next to active traffic. It’s simply not built to safely handle two-way bike and pedestrian traffic at the same time.
  • Loss of connectivity: Between the sidewalk closure and the loss of the Hobby Lobby parking lot as a connector, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to reach Walmart or the existing bike lanes on 8th Street without dealing with heavy vehicle traffic.
Work happening on 8th Street, currently with a massive hole in the ground for work on a water main.
Water Main installation just south of 8th Street Bridge over Bear Creek – from City 8th Street project page

What we’re advocating for We’ve reached out to the city to see if they can keep the Bear Creek Trail open specifically up to the Walmart parking lot ramp. That access point is only about 450 feet from the bridge, and keeping it open would be a huge help in maintaining connectivity for everyone during the project.

New 8th Street Apartments may bring connectivity challenges

While we are supportive of the additional housing density the new apartments in the old hobby lobby space will bring to this business rich area with Walmart, restaurants and numerous businesses near by. We are worried that this new gated apartment complex is likely to permanently remove the low-stress connection between Midland Trail and Walmart on the west side of I25 an the Creek. This route (which I had personally used regularly) previously allowed access to Walmart from the Midland Trail/8th Street Extension without requiring users to ride with vehicle traffic on 8th Street.

Find Construction, Closures on Bike Streets

You can check out the Bike Streets app to stay updated on construction details as they pop up. We’ve also added information on future projects that will improve bicycle connectivity throughout our city.

Looking ahead when 8th Street is finished

Looking ahead towards the finished project it’s worth remembering that this construction is part of the larger 8th Street Improvement Project. Once this years long project is complete we have a safer 8th street to look forward to:

  • Bridge and Roadway Upgrades: The 8th Street bridge over Fountain Creek has been widened be widened to the east, adding an extra northbound through lane and a new 10-foot multi-use trail improving the Midland Trail/8th Street connection. Additionally, the project fills in missing sidewalk sections on the west side of 8th Street and adds new sidewalks to the east side of the bridge. Read our post about the reopening here 8th Street Midland trail connection reopened – Mar 2026
  • Pedestrian Connectivity and Safety: This project fills builds a new continuious sidewalk on the west side of 8th Street.
  • Safety and Standards: The project includes striped and buffered bike lanes along 8th Street. The city is also controlling driveway access on the west side and replacing old, curbless driveways to bring the corridor up to modern safety standards.
8th bridge aerial: The new multi-use trail and freshly seeded landscaping are visible on the near side of the improved 8th Street bridge over Fountain Creek, with the remaining work area visible on the far side of the bridge.
8th Street Bridge with new 10ft wide Midland trail connection over Fountain Creek – from City 8th Street project page

We’re keeping the pressure on to ensure the short-term detour is as safe as possible while we wait for these long-term improvements to be finalized. Thanks for being patient as we push for safer, more connected ways to get around town! Let’s make 8th Street safer for everyone, whether walking, biking, or driving!

Take a look below at our previous posts about the 8th Street Project and Check the City’s page for more official information

Mapillary image showing where 8th St Construction is planned, depicting current condition with narrow sidewalk, on street bike lane and wide vehicle lanes
Mapillary image of 8th Street showing current condition with narrow sidewalk, on street bike lane and wide vehicle lanes

Below is information that we have compiled from the 8th street FAQ and Fact sheet that can be found on the city’s project website (under the public information tab).

Project Timeline

📅 Phase 1 (Spring-Summer 2025) – Bridge widening
📅 Phase 2 (Spring – Fall 2026) – Water main replacement (Vermijo Ave to Motor City Dr.)
📅 Phase 3 (Fall 2026) – Roadway paving & Concrete

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