Academy bridge and Cottonwood Creek trail
This project, which is already underway, will replace the current, aging, substandard bridge, bringing the structure up to modern safety standards. Additionally this project will allow the opening of an important 1.1 mile segment of the Cottonwood Creek Trail. Once open, this trail will allow uninterrupted bicycle travel from Union Blvd all the way to the Pikes Peak greenway.
The design process began nearly two years ago. The project team studied multiple options for replacing or rehabilitating the bridge and where the trail should cross both Academy Boulevard and the creek. Public input was a critical element of the decision process, including a public meeting in May 2016, where nearly 80 percent of respondents favored the new trail extension on the south side of the creek.
The new trail will pass under academy on the south side of the creek requiring a new bridge to be installed for the trail to connect to the existing trail on the north side of the creek, west of Academy. This work on this section of trail will start once the bridge work has been completed as the trail can’t be open while the bridge is under construction. Starting February 19th, the Cottonwood Creek Trail will be closed from Academy Boulevard eastward about half a mile, to the Dublin Park trail spur. Trail users will be detoured along the Dublin Park trail spur. This closure will be in place for the duration of the project.
Additionally, there will be lane closures on Academy to facilitate this bridge work as well. Southbound Academy will have single lane closures from north of Woodmen to south of York Road. The lane closures are necessary for utility relocations. The left lane of northbound Academy will be closed for approximately 1,000 feet south of Brookwood to accommodate median and utility work.
Once this stretch of trail is complete the underpass at Vincent Drive will open allowing uninterrupted travel on the cottonwood creek trail from the pikes peak greenway, all the way to union Blvd. The trail portion of the project is funded by Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services while this $7 million bridge project is funded by multiple sources, primarily the 1 cent Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) sales tax.
More information can be found at the city’s website for the Academy-Cottonwood Bridge Replacement and Trail Connection
This page will be updated occasionally with trail closures and detours related to the bridge project
