US 85 in Colorado Springs News

[r-dub]

A sign upgrade project on this stretch of US 85 (the one with the random ending with no connection to signed routes talked about in this thread from a long time ago) has produced quite a few reassurance shields showing this segment as a state route instead of a US route now, including adding endpoint signage.


I reached out to CDOT and heard back from them:

In general it is desired to have US highways that don't have a "break" in them. In the Colorado Springs area US85 has been non-continuous for many years. We are currently replacing the majority of signs on the highway and thought it was a good time to make the switch changing the name from a US highway to a Colorado highway. No addresses are impacted so the change does not really impact anyone

Makes sense to me. CO 36 and CO 40 follow the same idea: former US highway with no direct access to signed routes at their new endpoints. Honestly surprised this didn't happen when it was truncated back in the 2000s.

[usends]

Presumably this means US 85 will just remain on I-25 (unsigned of course, as CDOT does).  On the plus side, US 85 would no longer be physically discontinuous, but on the other hand this will extend the unsigned segment of US 85 by 57 miles.  Instead of being hidden from El Paso* north to Fountain (609 miles), it will be El Paso* to Castle Rock (666 miles).
*Or more precisely, the TX-NM line at Anthony.

[JayhawkCO]

Looks like I have a road trip I need to take in the next couple of weeks. Is the exit from I-25 on the south end now (or soon to be) signed as CO85 then?

[r-dub]

Looks like I have a road trip I need to take in the next couple of weeks. Is the exit from I-25 on the south end now (or soon to be) signed as CO85 then?

This is an ongoing project, so none of the BGSs have been updated yet as far as I know. At least the ones on Academy (former CO83) and CO 16 have not. I haven't made it down to the southern interchange.

[SD Mapman]

Looking at this and found what I believe is the only reference to 87 in Colorado now: US 85/87 New Mexico style!

[usends]

Looking at this and found what I believe is the only reference to 87 in Colorado now: US 85/87 New Mexico style!

Good find.  Ironically Venetucci at that point is no longer a US route, just a city street now.

[Molandfreak]

Presumably this means US 85 will just remain on I-25 (unsigned of course, as CDOT does).  On the plus side, US 85 would no longer be physically discontinuous, but on the other hand this will extend the unsigned segment of US 85 by 57 miles.  Instead of being hidden from El Paso* north to Fountain (609 miles), it will be El Paso* to Castle Rock (666 miles).
*Or more precisely, the TX-NM line at Anthony.

Are there any US 85 signs along I-10 in Texas? I couldn't find any on GSV.

[usends]

Are there any US 85 signs along I-10 in Texas? I couldn't find any on GSV.

Here's one northbound just before crossing into NM (on the frontage road, not actually on I-10).