CDOT to Upgrade 50+ Colorado Springs Signals

The Colorado Department of Transportation will start upgrading traffic signals in Colorado Springs in the first week of May, with work planned at more than 50 intersections across the Springs and Pueblo. (codot.gov) In Colorado Springs, the project map lists 24 signalized intersections; Pueblo has 27 more, for 51 total locations. CDOT said contractor Morton Electric will install new signal backplates, the panels that sit behind red, yellow and green lights. (codot.gov) Those backplates are reflective and yellow, which makes the signal heads stand out more clearly against bright sky and sun glare. CDOT said the added contrast helps drivers recognize signals from farther away and gives them more reaction time. (codot.gov) The work is scheduled from April 2026 to June 2026 on the project page, while CDOT’s April 20 announcement said crews expect to begin in early May and finish by mid-August. The affected highways in the Colorado Springs area include Colorado 16, Colorado 21, Interstate 25 ramps and feeder roads at Eagleridge Boulevard, and other state routes in the corridor list. (codot.gov; codot.gov) Drivers should expect mostly overnight construction, with general work hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., plus shoulder closures and alternating single-lane closures. CDOT said each intersection will have its own schedule based on traffic demand. (codot.gov) Colorado Springs maintains many city traffic signals through its Traffic Engineering Division, but signals on major highways, interstate ramps and some corridors fall under CDOT or other agencies. That split helps explain why this project is focused on state-controlled routes rather than every signal in the city. (coloradosprings.gov; codot.gov) The upgrade also fits into a broader run of corridor work in Colorado Springs, where the city and CDOT are already rebuilding older signal equipment on South Nevada Avenue at Ramona Avenue and St. Elmo Avenue. In that project, the agencies said the goal is to replace aging infrastructure and add safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. (coloradosprings.gov) CDOT said crews expect to complete about four signals per week, so the changes will move intersection by intersection rather than citywide all at once. For drivers, that means a summer of short work zones instead of one large closure. (codot.gov)