• Phase I: SEMA Construction, Inc. -- roadway grading and drainage of Powers from Briargate Blvd. to Kettle Creek; bridge structures over Pine Creek and Kettle Creek; and realignment and widening of Old Ranch Road.
• Phase II: Interstate Highway Construction, Inc. - 10" concrete paving of northbound Powers from Briargate Blvd. to Kettle Creek.
• Phase III: Schmidt Construction Company - asphalt paving of southbound Powers from Kettle Creek to Briargate Blvd.
• Phase IV: R.E. Monks Construction Company - realignment and widening of State Highway 83 (SH 83) from Old SH 83 to north of Shoup Road; Shoup Road/SH 83 intersection safety improvements; bridge structure over Black Squirrel Creek; construction and paving of Powers from Kettle Creek to SH 83; and signing, striping, guardrail, lighting, erosion control of Powers from Briargate Blvd. to SH 83.

Schedule:

• Phase I: December 2002 to June 2004
• Phase II: June 2004 to August 2004
• Phase III: June 2004 to July 2005
• Phase IV: April 2004 to September 2005

Roadway Surface Evaluation:

• The objective of the study is to demonstrate and compare the economic, long-term performance and overall functional practicability of hot mix asphalt vs. Portland cement concrete pavement and to establish criteria that aides CDOT engineers in their decision for the selection of these materials.
• Annual testing will be performed consisting of distress (crack mapping and rut measurements), friction (skid testing), smoothness, and deflection (load carrying capacity).
• Cost of construction and maintenance, construction time, and other environmental elements will be evaluated.
• Weigh-in-motion scales were installed as part of construction to acquire traffic data for pavement life-cycle evaluation.
• 10 - 15 year study conducted by the CDOT Division of Transportation Development.
• Similar testing is being performed by CDOT on US 85 in the Denver area.

How We Got Here:

• The City of Colorado Springs completed the environmental assessment (EA) for Powers Boulevard from Woodmen north to I-25 near Northgate in 1997.
• This EA projected that Powers would be completed from Research Parkway to SH 83 by 2005 as an expressway (at-grade signalized intersections).
• The EA clears Powers to ultimately be built as a freeway with grade separated interchanges (bridge overpasses).

The Future:

• Powers, as being opened today, was designed and constructed to most efficiently facilitate the future construction of grade-separated interchanges.
• New interchanges will be constructed when traffic demand is justified and funding is available.
• Right-of-way has been preserved for the ultimate freeway configuration; no additional property will need to be acquired to build the interchanges.

Unique Construction Facts:

• SEMA contracted for the 2nd largest mobile crane in the USA to set the girders over Kettle Creek. This crane required 40 trucks to ship in all the pieces and over a week to assemble.
• Crane utilized a 360 ft. boom and required a counter weight of 500,000 lbs.
• Steel girders used on Kettle Creek Bridges are over 6' tall and weigh over 2.3 million pounds combined.
• Kettle Creek Bridges are supported by concrete columns 6' in diameter
• Kettle Creek Bridges are over 450 ft. long, roughly the length of 1 ½ football fields.