The Colorado Department of Transportation has devised a solution to a safety issue at the intersection of Rusina Road, Garden of the Gods Road, and the southbound I-25 off-ramp.

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The intersection has been well-known to local residents and commuters, as vehicles turning north onto Rusina Road from Garden of the Gods Road had to cross a lane of Garden of the Gods that begins at the southbound I-25 off-ramp. This often created conflicts with vehicles turning from southbound I-25 to westbound Garden of the Gods Road. CDOT held a public meeting on the topic July 17 to solicit public concerns, then formed a working group with representatives from the City of Colorado Springs, local neighborhoods, businesses and other stakeholder groups such as the tourism industry to identify a solution that would best alleviate safety issues and satisfy local residents and businesses concerns about access to Rusina Road.

The following solution has been identified and will be implemented in the near future: A traffic light will be added at the bottom of the southbound off-ramp, stopping traffic from entering Garden of the Gods Road when westbound vehicles may be turning from Garden of the Gods to Rusina Road. CDOT will extend the curb of the median between the southbound I-25 off-ramp and Rusina Road. Vehicles exiting I-25 will now turn into the through-lanes of Garden of the Gods Road, rather than into the auxiliary lane between the southbound I-25 off-ramp and Chestnut Street.

Traffic engineers with CDOT and the City of Colorado Springs will monitor traffic patterns in the area to ensure this solution does not create back-ups on the off-ramp and I-25.