Natural gas line replacement in southwest Colorado Springs nearly finished | KRDO

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is in its sixth month of a project to replace two aging natural gas lines on the west end of Cheyenne Boulevard, from just east of 8th Street to Cresta Road.

The million-dollar project has required lane restrictions and closures, and torn up the pavement enough that it will require repaving next year under the city's 2C expanded paving program.

Neighbors have been coping with the neighborhood disruptions and inconveniences generated by the work.

"I'm used to it," said Stacey Self. "It sure cuts down on the noise from the road when it's been closed. I like that! I think it's just taking them a lot longer because they're finding huge rocks as they dig up the area they need to install the pipes. Some of the rocks have been as large as my SUV."

James Covey believes that future progress is worth the current pain.

"They (crews) crawled by our house," he recalled. "It took about a week or so, just to get past our house. Getting in and out of the driveway was difficult, but again -- it's great to see that things are improving."

For the next two weeks, traffic is reduced to one lane eastbound on the affected section of Cheyenne Boulevard; CSU plans similar lane closures from Nov. 22-30 to coincide with School District 12's spring break.

That should end most of the significant traffic disruptions, CSU said.

After crews finish installing the gas main, they will continue working into early next year to connect individual homes to it.

Meanwhile, a block to the south on Cheyenne Road, crews appear to be finished with a yearlong city project to repair and install sidewalks and other concrete infrastructure -- and make other safety improvements -- on a longer stretch between Cascade Avenue and the entrance to North Cheyenne Cañon Park.

The road also will be repaved as part of 2C next year.

One of the changes in those southwest side neighborhoods became somewhat controversial: The placement of street markers called delineators on Cheyenne Road at the Lorraine Street and Woodburn Street intersections, as part of a traffic safety study.

The city eventually removed the markers at Woodburn but they still remain at Lorraine.

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