The City of Pueblo will begin a multi-phase road construction project next week on Dillon Drive near the North Side Walmart to make repairs and repaving the road.
The first phase of work will begin June 10 and will include repairs to a sewer line, which will require the closure of Dillon Drive between Carruth Court and Eagleridge Boulevard. It’s estimated to take three weeks, said Andrew Hayes, the city’s public works director.
“The sewer line needs to be replaced before we do the road (paving),” Hayes said. “Obviously, pavement is like a skin on top of the roadway, and anything underneath it has to break that skin every time it breaks. We want to make sure the pipes underneath are in good condition, so we want to get that fixed before we start paving.”
The second phase of the project is expected to take place in July and will include milling and overlay work on that stretch of road. It is expected that the traffic impacts during this period will be less drastic compared to phase one.
According to Hayes, crews expect to complete phase two in early August.
All businesses, including Walmart, along that stretch of Dillon Drive will remain open during construction, as will some Pueblo Transit stops.
Here’s what else commuters need to know about the project and its traffic impacts.
How to access the companies during construction
Hayes said most businesses in the affected area will be accessible via Exit 102 on Interstate-25. Commuters will reach Eagleridge Boulevard after taking the exit and can then follow Dillon Drive to reach their destination.
Colorado Tire, Clayton Homes and a U-Haul location are the few businesses that should be accessible from Highway 47 at Dillon Drive, Hayes said.
Hayes added that north on Elizabeth Street is another detour route that commuters can take to reach the businesses on that stretch of Dillon Drive.
Pueblo Transit stops along Dillon Drive, including one directly in front of Walmart, will remain unaffected, Hayes said.
Why the city is making the repairs
Hayes said the condition of the pipeline and the desire to improve the roadway are some of the reasons the city is tackling the project.
“Dillon is a busy road,” Hayes said. “It’s a core business area in our city, so we want to make sure people can get there safely and comfortably as well.”
Hayes called the digging process to get to the pipe “extensive” — it is about 30 feet deep, requiring opening an “11-foot-wide trench” to complete the repair. It’s partly why the city expects a three-week window to complete that portion of the project.
“We recognize that it is disruptive to people’s day-to-day business operations and it is disruptive to those businesses as well,” Hayes said. “So we want to hurry and get this done as quickly as possible (and) minimize the disruption.”
The newly paved surface along Dillon Drive is expected to complement a planned roundabout at the intersection of that road and Eagleridge Boulevard.
That project has been in the works since at least 2018, but Hayes said the city is currently finalizing designs for the roundabout and construction could begin in 2025.
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Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news and subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe to chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo to repair and repaving part of Dillon Drive in multi-phase project
