About the Project
South Tejon Roundabout Project – Completed April, 2020
Construction of the roundabout was completed at the intersection of South Tejon Street, Cascade Avenue, Ramona Avenue, and Cheyenne Boulevard. The modern roundabout is designed to improve safety, capacity and traffic flow. It improves traffic operations and enhances the sense of community in compliance with the Ivywild Neighborhood Master Plan and the historic character of the neighborhood.
The existing intersection of South Tejon Street, Cascade Avenue, Ramona Avenue, and Cheyenne Boulevard currently includes five approaches to a single point. To improve safety, capacity and traffic flow, the City of Colorado Springs is reconstructing the intersection as a modern roundabout. The modern roundabout solution at this signalized intersection will improve operations, reduce travel delay, reduce long-term maintenance costs with the removal of the traffic signal, and carry bicyclists and pedestrians fully through all legs of the intersection. It will also improve traffic operations and enhance the sense of community in compliance with the Ivywild Neighborhood Master Plan and the historic character of the neighborhood.
The angles of the existing approaches are difficult for motorists to negotiate. The angle of each approach creates poor sight distance and makes it more difficult for people traveling through the intersection to follow wayfinding signage or know what direction to take to negate to their destination. As a result, the intersection creates considerable delay even in the absence of significant traffic volumes. A secondary consequence is that local drivers avoid the intersection by cutting through nearby neighborhood streets, creating other local traffic conflicts and neighborhood concerns.
Design of the roundabout project occurred in 2014/15 as a community-building, collaborative process with the Ivywild School redevelopment area and the adjacent neighborhood.
Project Benefits
- Improved intersection operation and public safety during peak and off-peak hours
- Safer passage for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Promote air quality by improved traffic circulation
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Implement elements of PlanCOS (City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan)
- Stimulate economic vitality within nearby Urban Renewal Areas and Neighborhood Strategy Area
- Streetscape enhancements for improved neighborhood appearance