(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Drivers had a hard time getting through the west side of Colorado Springs on Monday, Oct. 13, as simultaneous construction projects continue to impact two major arteries from the west side to I-25.

On Monday, road work began on Garden of the Gods Road near I-25, and many drivers needing to reach the interstate (including the writer of this article) may have considered East Rockrimmon Boulevard as an alternate route–only to find themselves stuck once again in construction traffic, as a separate project is also underway on Rockrimmon.

The work on Garden of the Gods Road is expected to last for 6-8 weeks, according to the City of Colorado Springs, and could reduce the usually three-lane road down to one through-lane in each direction during the day. The first phase, which the City estimates will last through October, will see lanes reduced just west of I-25 to Chestnut Street, and will involve changing the center medians to prohibit drivers from crossing all six lanes of Garden of the Gods Road at one time.

Map courtesy of the City of Colorado Springs

Normally, there are several other alternate routes to avoid Garden of the Gods when traveling from the west side; however, one of those routes is also impacted by construction. On Monday morning, East Rockrimmon Boulevard was also down to one lane during the morning commute, and traffic was gridlocked for almost a mile west of the interstate.

This lane reduction was part of the ongoing Woodmen Road project, wherein the bulk of the work is dedicated to improving the Woodmen bridge over North Academy Boulevard. The paving work extends far west of that intersection, beneath the interstate and up to East Rockrimmon Boulevard. The City’s project website states that this paving work would take place at night, though that was not the case on Monday.

We reached out to the City to find out more about these lane closures, and the City told FOX21 News that the closures on Monday were a necessity due to cold nighttime temperatures keeping paving operations from occurring. The City assured drivers that Monday’s lane closures were a single-day paving operation, and any continuing work on Rockrimmon would have minimal impact on the community.

For those hoping to avoid any potential headaches during their commute in the future, there are still a few alternate routes available for west side drivers to access I-25. Instead of taking East Rockrimmon north toward I-25, drivers can instead take South Rockrimmon Boulevard and access I-25 from the North Nevada Avenue exit.

Drivers can also take Centennial Boulevard to Fillmore Street or all the way to I-25, though this route is better suited for travelers heading south, as it would take northbound drivers almost two miles south before reaching the interstate.

Explore the map below for available detours (road work in red, detours in green):

While paving work on East Rockrimmon has wrapped up, work will continue on Woodmen Road for approximately another month, weather permitting.