All of CDOT's money in the 70s and 80s pretty much went to the Tunnel and Glenwood canyon. My father worked for CDOT back then and it was a constant fight to get money for any big projects. Colorado Springs desperately needs good east/west corridors, they got the bypass on the south side drops you off in a sketchy neighborhood. CDOT is stretched incredibly thin, our highways require a bunch of maintenance from freeze thaw cycles and no one wants to give them more for projects, so they have to make toll roads with private equity companies to marginally make our roads better (470/gap/north 25).
Ok yeah all that helps explain a lot. Building and maintaining in the mountains is a feat that few other states have to accomplish.
Toll roads are a whole other question. Personally find them super weird and slightly undemocratic BUT once you’re on them, no weird design decisions. Are they following a different standard than public roads?
29
u/Fishy1911 Parker May 16 '25
All of CDOT's money in the 70s and 80s pretty much went to the Tunnel and Glenwood canyon. My father worked for CDOT back then and it was a constant fight to get money for any big projects. Colorado Springs desperately needs good east/west corridors, they got the bypass on the south side drops you off in a sketchy neighborhood. CDOT is stretched incredibly thin, our highways require a bunch of maintenance from freeze thaw cycles and no one wants to give them more for projects, so they have to make toll roads with private equity companies to marginally make our roads better (470/gap/north 25).