Where else could the city add a freeway to help relieve congestion? The parkway was a nice idea, but I don't think it helps as much as it could if it were a full freeway. Considering the population of the city, I think they might need something better.
is the 24 enough of a through route to make that worthwhile? maybe add an I-425 beltway around the east to aid north-south through traffic?
You mean 25 right? I don't think so, it was recently widened to 6 lanes, and when that happens then things start to get worse with traffic.
no, I meant 24 as in US-24, the east-west main route through there. just worded it poorly.
I don't think many people cross through the Springs east-west, so an east-west freeway wouldn't help much.
Most through traffic through the Springs tends to be north-south. East-west traffic tends to either be going to the city or from it, not through it. Most east-west traffic in Colorado tends to go through Denver (I-70) or Pueblo (US 50) in the area. Considering 24 tends to be signed poorly at best through the city center, it's not that good as a through route right now. Any east-west freeway through the Springs would have to bypass it, and would require many exits to truly be useful. 24 could be routed onto such a bypass. Going through would not be an option due to how densely things are through downtown and through some of the current major thoroughfares, such as Platte (where US 24 enters the city from the east), Garden of the Gods/Austin Bluffs or Colorado Avenue (US 24 on the west side). As for an alternate north-south route, Powers Blvd. has seen quite a few upgrades lately, so it might make a good half-belt.
there's no point in mucking with 24 and leaving an old alignment. the last US-24 cutout is gone as of 2005 or so.
You should probably just uber-upgrade Powers Blvd. into I-425 on to facilitate through traffic
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Yeah upgrading Powers Blvd is good too, but they should just finish the 24 freeway. I'm sure it will reduce some commute times.
Matter of fact, Powers is indeed being built with a future upgrade to freeway status in mind. CDOT recently did a route swap - they turned back a few nearby state highways, and now they are instead responsible for Powers, which is now signed as SH 21. I think for the time being, most major junctions are still at-grade intersections, but the right-of-way has been purchased so that interchanges can be built when traffic counts and finances allow.
The next piece of Powers (CO-21) that will probably be constructed is from its north end at CO-83 to I-25, coming out near the north Air Force Academy exit. However, Colorado is so bereft of funding for new construction that that extension is not currently funded or scheduled. Upgrade to freeway through the Springs has totally uncertain timing. On the south end, there are conflicting plans to either extend CO-21 south around Fountain and intersect I-25 between the Pikes Peak Speedway and the Nixon power plant (sort of the "I-425" model), or even to extend it south parallel to I-25 to provide a corridor between Colorado Springs and northern Pueblo County, where there is a proposal to develop the area east of I-25 a la Pueblo West. The city of Pueblo is looking at annexing this area because of the development proposal. But, with no funding, these are just interesting lines on a map.
And, just to include some route number trivia, newly designated CO-21 (Powers) has two end-to-end route termini; on the north with CO-83 and on the south with CO-16.
The only thought that I have on a good E-W route through COS has already been shot down by neighborhood groups.
Extend Constitution Ave to I-25 at the Fontanero exit and upgrade it to freeway standards.
Most of that route is an abandoned railroad ROW, so no real funding would be needed to purchase property.
As for the neighborhood groups, I think the only way that this expansion would happen is if the design was a "cut and cover" model in places with strategic interchanges at Union, Circle, Academy, Powers, and US 24.