| The next interchange along southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87/Monument Valley Freeway is Exit 156B, the north entrance to the Air Force Academy. This exit may be used to reach Falcon Stadium, where the Air Force Academy Falcons play collegiate football with other teams in the Mountain West Conference. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This exit is the best route to United States Air Force Academy; a visitor's center is located near the north entrance to the academy. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 reaches Exit 156B, North Entrance to the United States Air Force Academy. The next ramp at this cloverleaf interchange is Exit 156A, Gleneagle Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Immediately thereafter, southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87/Monument Valley Freeway reaches Exit 156A, Gleneagle Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next two exits along southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 are Exit 153, InterQuest Parkway and Exit 151, Briargate Parkway. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Massive Pikes Peak comes into view on the Front Range, offering the first glimpse of a 14,000+ foot mountain as seen from Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 reaches Exit 153, InterQuest Parkway. Like the Briargate Parkway interchange to the south, this is also a trumpet interchange that only offers a connection to the east, since the Air Force Academy occupies the land west of here. Use InterQuest Parkway east to the community of Black Forest. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87/Monument Valley Freeway is Briargate Parkway, one mile. Several business parks and other commercial enterprises have set up at the Interstate 25/Briargate Parkway interchange. A trumpet interchange, Briargate Parkway really acts as another connection between Interstate 25 and Colorado 83, then crosses the northern end of metropolitan Colorado Springs before turning south on Powers Boulevard. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| After passing the Briargate Parkway interchange, Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 will leave the Air Force Reservation and enter the city of Colorado Springs. Briargate Parkway exits the freeway and heads east to meet Colorado 83. It serves the Pine Creek Golf Club and connects to Research Parkway via south Colorado 83. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| A scenic overlook is available to southbound travelers only at this ramp, located prior to the Briarwood Parkway. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87/Monument Valley Freeway reaches Exit 151, Briargate Parkway. The City of Colorado Springs is the second largest city in the state. One of the most important construction projects outside of Denver is happening here: the reconstruction of Interstate 25 in a project commonly known as COSMIX: The Expansion of Interstate 25 to Six Lanes in Colorado Springs. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits on southbound are Exit 150, Academy Boulevard; Exit 149, Woodmen Road; and Exit 148B, Corporate Center Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| After the Academy Boulevard interchange, the following three exits on southbound are Exit 149, Woodmen Road; Exit 148B, Corporate Center Drive; and Exit 148A, Junction Business Loop I-25/Nevada Avenue south. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 reaches Exit 149, Woodmen Road. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| A large diagrammatical sign illustrates the pending left exit that will take Business Loop I-25 (and U.S. 85-87 silently with it) south onto Nevada Avenue. The next exit is Exit 148B, Corporate Center Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 reaches Exit 148B, Corporate Center Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 reaches Exit 148, Junction Business Loop I-25/U.S. 85-87 South. The business route follows Nevada Avenue through the city of Colorado Springs, but maps show U.S. 85-87 following the business route. Only the business loop is signed on Nevada Avenue, however. U.S. 85 is not signed until reaching the south end of the city, and U.S. 87 is unsigned throughout Colorado Springs. The last sign depicting U.S. 87 was removed in 2001, and the state is apparently disinclined to add any further signs that might provide clues on the whereabouts of U.S. 87 in El Paso County. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Interstate 25 South
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25 is Exit 147, Rockrimmon Boulevard. Use Rockrimmon Boulevard northwest to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This Interstate 25 reassurance shield is posted after the Rockrimmon Boulevard interchange. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25/Monument Valley Freeway is Exit 146, Garden of the Gods Road, one-half mile. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Colorado Technology University and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs are reached via Garden of the Gods Road eastbound (which changes into Austin Bluffs Parkway east of Nevada Avenue/Business Loop I-25). Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Use Garden of the Gods Road west to the Garden of the Gods, which is a public park with paved hiking trails and an interpretative nature center. Red rocks jut out from the landscape, giving the area an other worldly feel. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/Monument Valley Freeway reaches Exit 146, Garden of the Gods Road. For more on the Garden of the Gods itself, including pictures of the unique rock formations in the park, see the U.S. Highway 24 page. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25 is Exit 145, Junction Colorado 38, which follows Fillmore Street for a bit more than three-quarters of a mile east to Business Loop I-25/U.S. 85-87 (Nevada Avenue). Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits along southbound are Exit 144, Fontanero Street; Exit 143, Uintah Street; and Exit 142, Bijou Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/Monument Valley Freeway reaches Exit 144, Fontanero Street. Part of the reason Interstate 25 occupies such a narrow space through this stretch is due to its proximity to Monument Creek and the Monument Valley Park. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound is Exit 143, Uintah Street, followed by Exit 142, Bijou Street. Use Uintah Street east to Colorado College and the U.S. Olympic Center. While Colorado College is located just east of Interstate 25 after the Monument Creek bridge, the Olympics complex is reached via Uintah Street east to Union Boulevard south. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits along southbound are Exit 142, Bijou Street; Exit 141, Junction U.S. 24 west/Cimarron Street; and Exit 140, Junction U.S. 85/Colorado 115 and Tejon Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The right lane becomes exit only for Exit 142, Bijou Street into downtown Colorado Springs; the next exit is Exit 141, Junction U.S. 24 west to Manitou Springs. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25 is Exit 141, Junction U.S. 24/Cimarron Street westbound. U.S. 24 departs from Interstate 25 here, following Cimarron Street out of Colorado Springs and changing into the Manitou Springs Bypass upon entering Manitou Springs. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| U.S. 24 serves a variety of natural features, including Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs, and the Garden of the Gods. To Pikes Peak, follow U.S. 24 west past the end of the expressway (after Manitou Springs), then look for signs for the Pikes Peak Highway. The highway is a toll road that heads southwest from U.S. 24 near Cascade and ascends one of the nation's most famous mountains. Ascending to 14,110 feet above sea level, the highway is partially paved and partially unpaved. The highway is about 19 miles long as it winds its way up the mountain, which is the easternmost of the tall peaks in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25 reaches Exit 141, Junction U.S. 24 west. In addition to Pikes Peak, U.S. 24/Cimarron Street also travels west to Manitou Springs, which is home to the Miramont Castle (built in 1895) and Cave of the Winds, which was discovered in the 1870s and opened as a tourist attraction thereafter. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along southbound Interstate 25/eastbound U.S. 24 (Monument Valley Freeway) is Exit 140, Junction Business Loop I-25 north, U.S. 85-87, and south Colorado 115, which follows Nevada Avenue north through downtown Colorado Springs. Signed solely as Business Loop I-25, Nevada Avenue is often shown on maps as U.S. 85-87. The two U.S. routes are silently merged with the business route through Colorado Springs; they rejoin Interstate 25 back at Exit 148. Since the business route is the more direct route, it is only about seven miles long as compared to the longer eight miles on Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Colorado 115 originates in Caņon City, then travels northeast into Colorado Springs. Once in the city, Colorado 115 north becomes U.S. 85 north, which in turn becomes Business Loop I-25 (even though the entire route follows Nevada Avenue). Since this is a diamond interchange, there is access to southbound Colorado 115 from this offramp. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Another sign for Colorado 115 indicates that this is the best route to Caņon City. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Cheyenne Mountain comes into view, as seen from southbound Interstate 25 and eastbound U.S. 24. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The right two lanes serve access to southbound U.S. 85-87 and Colorado 115 (and northbound Business Loop I-25). Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Southbound Interstate 25/eastbound U.S. 24 reaches Exit 140, Junction U.S. 85-87 south, Colorado 115 south, and Business Loop I-25 north. Upon reaching the bottom of the ramp, the first traffic signal will be for Tejon Street and the second will be for Nevada Avenue. Follow Nevada Avenue south for U.S. 85-87 and Colorado 115 south. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This is the gore point for Exit 140, junction Colorado 115 and U.S. 85-87. Of course, U.S. 87 is not signed anywhere on this route, even though most maps show the routes co-signed. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| To Colorado 115, continue straight ahead past the Tejon Street intersection. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Upon reaching Tejon Street, turn right to connect to Motor Way and Arvada Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The Interstate 25 viaduct is immediately visible from the Tejon Street intersection. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Turn right here, at Nevada Avenue, to follow Colorado 115 and U.S. 85-87 south. Even U.S. 85 is omitted from this shield assembly. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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Page Updated June 20, 2005.
